THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


-^^CJ*." 


F 

532 


AUTHORITIES. 


Thinking  it  desirable  that  the  early  and  rapidly  perishing  his- 
tory of  the  settlement  of  Lake  County  should  be  preserved,  and 
believing  myself  to  possess  some  peculiar  facilities  and  motives  for 
such  a  work,  and  feeling  sure  that  the  time  will  come  when  there 
will  be  many  to  appreciate  its  value,  I  have,  amid  severe  pressures 
and  hindrances,  endeavored,  as  faithfully  as  the  circumstances  would 
allow,  to  accomplish  this  object.     The  authorities  are  : 

1.  The  Claim  Register. — This  is  a  document  of  1S36,  twelve 
inches  by  seventeen  in  size,  containing  eighty  pages,  which  I  acci- 
dentally found  in  Kankakee  City. 

2.  Robinson's  Records. — This  document  is  in  the  form  of  a 
lecture  which  was  given  in  the  Old  Log  Court  House  not  long 
before  its  author  left  this  State  to  enter  on  life  in  New  York. 

3.  D1.A.RY  OK  Judge  B.\i.l,  of  Cedar  Lake. 

4.  My  Own  Diary,  commenced  when  thirteen  years  of  age. 

5.  Diary  or  Weather  Record  of  Rev.  H.  Wason. 

6.  Personal  Recollections,  from  August,  1837. 

7.  Conversations  with  Old  Settlers  and  their  Descend- 
ants. 

8.  Public  Records  .vnd  Documents. 

To   the  many   who   have  kindly   aided   me  in  furnishing   items  of 

information   I   here  return  my  sincere  thanks. 

Cro'un  Point,  Indiana,  1872. 

T.   H.  BALL. 


>*  '» / »/ 1^*^'•  > 


CORRECTIONS. 


A  KEW  typographical  errors,  from  whicli  a  first  edition  is  rarely 
altogether  free,  will  be  found  on  these  pages.  On  ])agc  f)S,  nintli 
line,  for  the  word  opened  read  speaieil.  In  the  last  (|iiotation,  on  page 
107,  the  words  rt'ct/rrr/ and  r<<'('r'(V(-(/ are  transposed.  On  jiages  155, 
156,  and  157,  Liverpool  is  mentioned  as  having  been  (jn  the  (alumet. 
This  is  of  course  a  mistake.  I'lease  read  Deeji  River.  .\  few  other 
errors  the  reader  will  easily  correct. 

l?y  an  oversight  of  my  own  two  burial  jilaces  are  omitted  ;  one  in 
Hanover,  connected  with  the  Oerman  l-"vangelical  Church  ;  the 
other  at  Crown  Point  belonging  to  the  Church  of  the  lilessed  Virgin 
Mary.     Both  are  well  kept. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGES. 

Locality,  Water  Shed,  Water  Courses,  Cedar    Lake,    Con- 
gressional Townships  and  Ranges,  and  Ridges,       -  5-17 

CHAPTER     I  L 

Purchases  from  the    Indians,  Early  Settlements,  Squatters' 

Union,  Land  Sale,        ---.-..       iS-66 

CHAPTER     I  I L 
The  Pottawatomles, C17-S4 

CHAPTER     IV. 
Growth,  1840-1849, -         -  85-95 

CHAPTER     V. 
New  Growth,  1S50-1859,  Rail  Roads,  Swamp  Lands,        -         96-IIO 

CHAPTER     VI. 

Our  War  Record,  The    Crown    Point   Institute,  Teachers' 

Institutes,  ---....  IIO-136 

C  H  A  P  T  E  R     \'  I  I. 
Burial  Places, 137-144 

CHAPTER     VIII. 
Towns  and  Villages,         -  145-165 


CON  TK  NTS. 


CIIAPTKR     IX. 


Temperance  Societies,  ALjricultural  Society,  Sal)l)atli  Scliool 
Convention,  College  (Iraduates  and  Stiulents,  Literary 
Societies,  Church  Organizations,  Physicians,  Lawyers, 
Contrasts,         ---.....         166-198 

CIIATTER     X. 

The  Xail,  Commissioners'  Records,  Center  of  Lake,  Ton 
.Mile  Line,  Indian  Floats,  Mounds,  Views,  Granges, 
Weatlier  Record,  Timber  Stealers,  Indian  Incident, 
Long  Lanes,  North  Township,  First  Things,  Schools, 
Wolves,  Wild  Cat,  White  Owl,  Bald  Eagle,  Swan,  Peri- 
odicals, Records  of  Ministers,  Kankakee  Detectives, 
Wells  and  Springs,  South  East  Grove,  Orchard,  I'lum, 
Lost  on  the  Prairie,  Native  Wild  Animals,  Specimen 
Poems,        --.--.-.-     199-275 

C  H  A  P  T  E  R     X  I. 

Sketches  of  Early  Settlers, 276-347 

C  II  A  P  T  E  R     XI  I. 

Siin  Dogs,  Ice  Cutting,  K.  V.   D.    Company,  Cumberland 

Lodge,  The  Purglar,  Concluding   Reflections,         -  34S-364 


LAKE  COUNTY,  INDIANA, 

1834— 1872. 


CHAPTER  I. 

LOCALITY,  GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  PHYSICAL  FEATURES. 
I. 

Lake  County  is  situated  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
the  State  of  Indiana.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Lake  Michigan,  and  on  the  south  by  the  Kankakee 
River.  On  the  east  an  air  line  running  north  and  south 
separates  it  from  the  county  of  Porter.  On  the  west  lies 
the  State  of  Illinois.  Its  east  and  west  sides  are  paral- 
lel, and  its  width  is  sixteen  miles.  Its  northern  limit, 
the  beach  line  of  one  of  the  world's  most  magnificent 
lakes,  is  a  t^uite  regular  curve.  Its  southern  limit  is  a 
very  irregular  line,  as  marked  out  by  the  windings  of  one 
of  the  small  but  remarkable  rivers  of  our  country.  The 
length  of  this  region  on  the  east  side  is  about  twenty- 
seven  miles.     On  the  west  side  it  is  thirty-six  miles.     Its 


6  LAKE    COl'NTY. 

area  is,  in  round  numbers,  five  hundred  square  miles_ 
Although  not  large,  yet  one  of  the  largest  among  the 
ninety-two  counties  of  Indiana,  it  is  twice  as  large  as  the 
ancient  Attica,  that  division  of  Greece  which  was  "  in 
many  respects  one  of  the  most  interesting  regions  of  the 
earth,"  and  which  once  contained  300,000  inhabitants. 
It  is  twice  as  large  as  the  celebrated  island  of  Malta, 
which,  *'  anciently  little  else  than  a  baren  rock  "  has 
been  made,  by  the  exportation  of  soil  from  Africa,  so 
fertile  as  to  support  a  population  of  90,000. 

It  has  about  the  same  area  as  that  division  of  the  Ger- 
man Empire  called  Saxe  Altenburg,  which  contains  more 
than  140,000  inhabitants.  It  is  larger  than  the  Friendly 
Islands,  which  sustain  a  population  of  25,000. 

If  possessing  no  natural  features  to  render  it  of  more 
than  ordinary  interest,  if  not  ".beautiful  for  situation," 
as  was  one  ancient  spot  of  earth,  it  is  nevertheless  pecu- 
liarly situated.  Its  northwest  corner  is  within  twelve 
miles  of  the  court  house  in  Chicago,  and,  occupying 
that  space  south  of  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan,  across 
its  territory  every  railroad  must  pass  which  from  the 
east  or  southeast  enters  that  growing  city,  evidently  des- 
tined to  become  the  mighty  metropolis  of  the  north- 
west and  one  of  the  world's  great  cities. 

Five  hundred  square  miles  of  surface  lying  where  Lake 
county  does  cannot  be  unimportant. 

II. 

Across  its  borders  runs  the  water  shed  which  separates 
the    Mississippi   Valley  from  the    St.    Lawrence    Basin. 


WATER    SHED.  7 

This  line  enters  the  county  from  the  west  in  St.  John's 
Township,  in  Section  36,  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  the 
line  due  west  from  Crown   Point,  passing  north  of  the 
head  waters  of  West  Creek  in  this  section ;   it  runs  near 
the  village  of  St.  John's,  and  passes  in  a  winding  south- 
easterly direction   across   Hanover   Township  to  a  point 
half  a   mile   north  of  the    head  of  Cedar  Lake.     From 
thence  it  winds  along  the  ridges  of  that  strip  of  woodland 
in  Centre  Township,  its  main  direction  eastward,   passes 
south   of  Fancher's    Lake,  between   that   and    the    Mill 
Pond,  comes  out  upon  the  prairie  about  one  mile  south 
of  Crown  Point  and  enters  School  Grove.    It  runs  along  a 
ridge  in  the  grove  south  of  the  Sherman  marsh,  and  passes 
in  a  southerly  direction   across    the   prairie  to    a  point 
not  far  from  Cassville.     It  then   turns  northward  around 
the  head  of  that  arm  of  Deep  River,  and  bearing  a  little 
toward  the  east  passes  on  north  between  Deep  River  and 
Eagle    Creek,   south    of  Deer   Creek,   and    still    bearing 
eastward  leaves  Lake  county  on   a  line  almost  due  east 
from  Crown  Point,  passing  north  of  that  little  lake  which 
is  the  source  of  Eagle  Creek.      The  continuation  of  this 
water  shed  eastward  is  in  a  northerly  direction,  north  of 
all  tributaries  of  the  Kankakee,  and  comes  up  to  the  por- 
tage between  this  and  the  St.  Joseph  River.     The  dis- 
tance between  these  two  rivers  at  this  point,  across  which 
portage  La  Salle  and   Hennepin  carried  their  canoes   in 
their  famous  exploring  expedition  of  1679,  is  only  five  or 
six  miles.     The  western  continuation  of  this  water  shed 
is  yet  more  singular.     From  that  Section  ;^6,  crossing  the 
Illinois  line  it   runs  southwest,  passing   west    of   Eagle 
Lake  and  around  the  head  waters  of  Thorn  Creek,  having; 


8  LAKE    COUNTY. 

made  of  southing  some  seven  miles.  It  then  turns  north- 
ward and  runs  up  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Des  Plaines 
River,  between  that  and  the  Chicago  River,  running 
-within  some  eight  miles  of  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan. 
This  Des  Plaines  River,  running  past  Joliet,  meeting 
with  the  Kankakee  which  has  turned  its  course  toward 
the  northwest,  as  though  in  haste  to  meet  its  sister  river, 
forms  there,  in  conjunction  with  the  Kankakee,  the  Illi- 
nois River.  The  head  waters  of  Thorn  Creek,  which  runs 
into  Lake  at  Dyer,  and  the  south  head  of  Deep  River  near 
Cassville,  are  the  two  most  southern  points  in  the  Lake 
Michigan  Basin ;  and  on  both  the  east  side  and  the 
west,  the  Mississippi  sends  up  its  tributaries  to  obtain 
water  with  which  to  swell  its  mighty  current  very  near  to 
Michigan  Lake.  And  from  the  center  of  Lake  county, 
all  along  this  winding  line,  drops  of  water  start  but  a  few 
feet  apart,  one  of  which  will  plunge  down  the  cataract  of 
Niagara  and  flowing  through  the  St.  Lawrence  Gulf,  will 
enter  the  Atlantic  Ocean  in  latitude  46  deg.;  while  the  oth- 
er, flowing  along  the  great,  muddy,  Father  of  Waters  and 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  enters  the  same  Atlantic  in  latitude 
.24  deg.,  in  the  warm  region  of  the  Tropic  of  Cancer. 
Perchance,  after  traveling  thousauds  of  miles  these 
drops  will  meet  and  mingle  on  the  shores  of  Greenland 
or  of  Iceland.  The  height  of  the  Lake  county  water 
shed  above  the  ocean  level  has  never  been  ascertained  .'* 
but  how  singular,  that  almost  from  within  sound  of  Mich- 
igan's dashing  waves  water  should  flow  down  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 


WATER    COURSES.  9 

III. 

The  principal  streams  of  Lake  county  are,  the  Calumet, 
Deep  River,  and  Turkey  Creek,  flowing  into  Lake  Michi- 
gan ;  and  West  Creek, Cedar  Creek  and  Eagle  Creek,  flowing 
into  the  Kankakee.  The  main  direction  of  the  first  three 
streams  is  eastward  and  westward.  The  main  direction 
of  the  last  three  is  southward.  Turkey  Creek  is  a  small 
stream  which,  starting  northwest  of  Centreville,  passing 
near  this  village,  running  a  little  north  of  east,  empties  its 
waters  into  Deep  River  a  little  south  and  west  of  Hobart. 
Deep  River  has  two  small  sources;  the  one  near  Brown's 
Point,  northwest  of  Crown  Point,  which  flows  eastward,, 
and  the  other  commencing  in  the  marshy  ground  some 
six  miles  southeast  of  Crown  Point  which  flows  northward. 
These  two  unite  east  of  Crown  Point,  three  and  a  half 
miles  and  north  about  two  miles,  and  flow  eastward,  cut- 
ting the  edge  of  Porter  county.  The  river  then  flows 
northward  returning  into  Lake  county,  and  bears  north- 
west to  the  mouth  of  Turkey  Creek,  having  made  some 
three  and  a  half  miles  westing.  It  then  flows  northeasterly 
to  Hobart ;  and  passes  from  thence  northward  into  the 
Calumet.  The  Calumet  enters  the  county  from  Porter, 
two  miles  south  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  flows  westward 
bearing  a  little  south  along  a  marshy  valley  across  the 
county.  It  continues  on  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  running 
northwesterly  till  it  reaches  the  Rlue  Island  bluff,  having 
made  about  seven  and  a  half  miles  westing  from  the 
Indiana  line.  Meeting  this  bluff  it  turns  back  and  flows 
but  little  south  of  east,  in  a  line  nearly  parallel  with  its 
westward  flow,  until  it  has  again  almost  crossed  the 
county  of  Lake,   and    enters    Lake    Michigan  two   miles 


lO  LAKE    COUNTY. 

west  and  two  north  of  its  entrance  from  Porter  into  Lake. 
This  was  its  original  channel.  I  am  told  that  the  Indi- 
ans, some  eighty  years  ago,  opened,  with  the  paddles  of 
their  canoes,  a  new  channel  for  this  singular  river  in  the 
marshy  ground  between  Calumet  Lake  in  Illinois,  and 
Wolf  Lake  in  Indiana  and  Illinois,  both  near  Lake  Mich- 
igan, and  thus  turned  a  portion  of  its  waters  into  this 
lake  by  a  northern  course  of  a  few  miles,  beginning  two 
miles  west  of  the  state  line.  The  Calumet  has  therefore 
now  two  mouths,  some  twenty  miles  apart,  one  in  Indiana 
and  one  in  Illinois.  The  eastward  and  westward  flow  of 
these  northern  streams  is  produced,  evidently,  by  the  pecu- 
liar ridges  crossing  the  northern  jiortion  of  the  county  from 
east  to  west.  These  are,  north  of  the  Calumet,  ridges  of 
sand,  the  first  ones  covered  with  pines  and  some  cedar 
trees,  also  producing  huckleberry  bushes,  wintergreens, 
and  other  plants  natural  to  a  very  sand}  soil.  l''urther 
south  a  growth  of  oak  conies  in,  the  smaller  plants  re- 
maining the  same.  These  ridges  of  pure  sand  are  com- 
paiatively  narrow,  their  elevation  being  from  ten  to  thirty 
or  forty  feet  above  the  level  of  Lake  Michigan.  The 
water  of  this  lake  has  an  elevation  of  about  six  hundred 
feet  above  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Between  the  ridges  are 
marshes,  or  narrow,  sandy  valleys,  and  north  of  the  Cal- 
umet these  ridges  are  numerous.  They  extend  also  be- 
tween the  Calumet  and  Turkey  Creek,  and  between  this 
and  Deep  River,  but  there  is  little  sand  south  of  Turkey 
Creek  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  county.  The  last  ridge 
on  the  western  side  of  the  county  commences  just  south 
of  Dyer  on  the  Illinois  line,  passing  northward  into  Illi- 
nois in  a  low,  broad  ridge  of  sandy  prairie  soil,  and  east- 


WATER    COURSES.  II 

-ward,  containing  some  grand  sand  banks  exactly,  in 
-appearance,  like  those  now  along  the  beach  of  Lake 
Michigan,  until  it  gives  way  to  a  prairie  ridge  east  of  the 
village  of  Schererville.  The  appearance  near  Dyer  is  as 
though  the  water  of  Lake  Michigan,  a  number  of  years  ago, 
■washed  this  ridge  and  dashed  its  waves  upon  this  sand, 
"finding  here  its  southwestern  limit,  then  retiring  north- 
ward, ridge  by  ridge,  reached  its  present  bounds,  leaving 
its  old  beach  to  show  where  once  its  free  waves  dashed 
their  spray.  The  eastward  continuation  of  this  appar- 
ently lake  beach  is  a  broad  prairie  ridge  between  Turkey 
Creek  and  Deep  River. 

South  of  Deep  River,  and  especially  south  of  the  water 
shed,  the  ridges  and  slopes  of  the  woodland  and  the 
prairies  cause  the  streams  to  flow  northward  or  southward. 
West  Creek,  commencing  at  the  water  shed  on  that  sec- 
tion 36,  before  named,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  Illinois 
line,  flows  south,  bearing  a  little  east,  and  runs  into  the 
Kankakee,  passing  along  a  broad,  marshy  valley,  forming, 
before  bridges  were  built,  an  almost  impassable  barrier 
near  the  western  border  of  the  county.  Its  length,  in  a 
straight  line,  is  nineteen  miles. 

Cedar  Creek  is  the  outlet  of  Cedar  Lake,  and  winds 
along  a  narrow  valley,  at  first  eastward  and  then  running 
southward,  reaching  the  Kankakee  at  a  distance,  on  a 
straight  line,  of  about  thirteen  miles  from  its  out-flow  at 
Cedar  Lake. 

Eagle  Creek  starts  in  Porter  county,  being  the  outlet 
<}f  a  little  lake  lying  due  east  of  the  north  part  of  Crown 
Point,  but  soon  crossing  the  line,  as  it  bears  westward ;  it 
reaches  the  Kankakee  about  13  miles  from  that  little  lake. 


12  LAKE    COUNTY. 

One  of  its  main  tributaries  flows  from  a  marsh  at  the 
south  end  of  School  Grove. 

Besides  these  six  named,  there  are  still  smaller  water 
courses,  as  Deer  Creek,  Duck  Creek,  Plum  Creek,  and 
Willow  Creek.     Springs  will  be  hereafter  mentioned. 

IV. 

The  county  is  now  divided  into  ten  townships.  These 
are,  commencing  at  the  north  :  North,  which  extends 
across  the  country  from  east  to  west,  and  is,  therefore, 
sixteen  miles  long,  and  is  two  miles  wide  at  its  eastera 
limit  and  twelve  on  its  western  border;  St.  John's,  Ross, 
and  Hobart ;  Hanover,  Center,  and  Winfleld  ;  West 
Creek ;  Cedar  Creek,  and  Eagle  Creek.  North  and 
Center  are  so  named  from  their  geographical  position. 
The  three  southern  townships  are  named  from  their 
creeks.  These  creeks  received  their  names,  the  first  from 
its  position,  the  second  from  the  lake  of  which  it  is  the 
outlet,  and  the  third  from  an  eagle's  nest  on  a  tree  near 
its  banks,  found  by  the  early  settlers.  This  nest  was 
near  the  Gregg  place,  and  was  shown  to  Luman  A.  Fow- 
ler by  Jacob  Hurlburt  in  1835.  Ross  was  named  after  an, 
early  settler  who  was  killed  by  the  falling  of  a  tree  in  1836- 
St.  John's  was  named  from  the  Church  of  St.  John  the 
Evangelist ;  and  Hanover,  from  the  German  Hanover, 
its  inhabitants  being  mostly  German,  and  several  coming 
from  that  kingdom.  Hobart  was  named  after  Trederick 
Hobart  Earle,  of  Falmouth,  England,  brother  of  George 
Earle,  an  early  settler  of  Lake;  and  Winfield,  in  honor 
of  Gen.  Winfield  Scott. 


CEDAR    LAKE.  I5 

V. 

The  principal  lake  in  the  county  is  Cedar  Lake  or 
Red  Cedar  Lake,  five  miles  southwest  of  the  geographi- 
cal center.  Its  eastern  shore  is  in  Center  Township  and 
its  western  in  Hanover.  It  was  named  from  the  red  ce- 
dar trees  growing  on  its  bank.  Its  length  is  two  and  a 
half  miles.  Its  greatest  breadth  is  one  mile.  It  has  no 
inlet ;  is  evidently  fed  by  springs ;  its  \vaters  are  clear, 
pure,  and  soft ;  and  when  first  seen  by  the  white  settlers 
it  abounded  in  fish,  water-fowls,  musk-rats,  and  minks. 
On  its  banks  the  Red  Men  reared  their  wigwams  ;  on  its 
waters  they  paddled. their  light  canoes  ;  and  on  its  north- 
ern bank,  in  the  pure  sand,  close  by  a  high  bluff,  they 
buried  their  dead.  As  a  sheet  of  water,  comparing  as  it 
does  well  in  size  with  some  of  the  noted  ones  of  Eng- 
land, it  is  called,  by  some  good  judges,  very  beautiful. 
Other  small  lakes  are :  Fancher's,  Lake  Seven,  Lemor* 
Lake,  Sheehan's  Lake,  and  Wolf  Lake.  Lake  George 
is  found  on  some  maps,  but,  like  the  mountains  of  North- 
ern Indiana,  in  Cummings'  Atlas  of  1815,  it  is  more 
imaginary  than  real. 

VI. 

The  surface  and  the  soil  in  this  region  are  quite  varied. 
Darby's  Universal  Cjazetteer,  of  1827,  says,  article  Indi- 
ana :  "  The  country  round  the  extreme  S.  bay  of  Lake 
Michigan  has  the  a[)pearance  of  the  sea  marshes  of 
Louisiana.  Low  flooded  prairies  intersected  by  lakes  and 
interlocking  creeks.  No  eminences  are  seen,  one  un- 
broken horizon  encircles  the  eye."  There  is  some  low, 
level,    marshy    land.     There    is    low    and    level    prairie. 


14  LAKE    COUNTY. 

There  is  rolling  prairie  with  long  ridges  of  woodland. 
There  is  rolling  prairie  with  long  and  graceful  slopes  and 
broad  valleys,  and  some  prairie  with  deej)  and  short  val- 
leys equal  almost  to  the  rolling  prairie  of  Iowa.  There 
are  long  and  broad  ridges  and  table  lands,  and  liills  and 
dales,  and  heavy  woodland.  There  are  beds  of  white 
sand  as  clean  and  pure  as  sand  can  well  be.  There  are 
miles  of  yellowish  sand  where  corn  and  potatoes  will 
grow  quite  successfully.  There  is  a  whitish  clay  soil, 
producing  oats,  grass,  and  winter  wheat,  and  rye.  There 
is  the  rich  black  soil  of  the  prairie,  and  the  still  deeper 
and  richer  soil  of  the  high  and  dry  marsh.  The  large 
Cady  Marsh,  the  Calumet  and  Kankakee  marshes,  and 
other  smaller  ones,  contain  many  thousands  of  acres  of 
land  that  must  one  day  become  very  valuable.  Some  of 
it,  once  called  waste  land  and  ''swamp  land,"  already 
produces  large  crops  of  grass  and  oats. 

VII. 

Over  Lake  county  and  above  the  line  of  the  Water 
Shed,  the  warm  vapor  from  the  southern  valleys  and  the 
slopes,  or  from  the  rivers  and  waters  of  tiie  vSouth  meets 
with  the  cooler  vapor  of  Lake  Michigan,  giving  to  this  re- 
gion, in  ordinary  seasons,  an  abundance  of  moisture,  and 
causing  the  atmosphere  to  be  very  seldom  perfectly 
cloudless.  As,  however,  late  in  the  season  the  water  of 
Lake  Michigan  becomes  quite  warm,  and  continues 
during  those  golden  days  of  October  and  sometimes 
through  November  which  we  call  Indian  Summer,  the 
north  wind  bringing  that  vapor  and  warm  air  over  the 
ridge  and  down   our  southern  slope   to    the    Kankakee 


RANGES    AND    RIDGES.  15 

keeps  off  the  early  autumnal  frosts,  and  this  county  is 
sometimes  protected  for  weeks  after  the  frost  appears 
further  west  and  further  south.  If  the  springs,  there- 
fore, are  wet  and  backward  occasionally,  the  autumns  are, 
quite  usually,  warm,  late,  and  delightful. 

VIII. 

This  region  contains,  as  laid  out  by  the  United  States 
surveyor,  two  entire  ranges.  Eight  and  Nine,  three  rows 
of  sections  in  Range  Seven  on  the  east,  and  one  row  of 
sections  in  Range  Ten  on  the  west.  The  congressional 
townships  are  from  Thirty-two  to  Thirty-seven  in  each 
range,  some  of  which,  on  the  north  and  south,  are  not 
full.  Ten  congressional  townships  are  almost  entire. 
The  prairie  region  covers,  probably,  about  two-thirds  of 
the  county.  The  first  prairie,  beginning  at  the  northeast 
of  the  prairie  portion,  is  just  south  of  the  town  of  Ho- 
barl,  is  level,  rather  low,  and  was  formerly  wet.  It  is 
now  sufficiently  dry  for  successful  cultivation.  It  is 
small,  not  more  than  two  miles  in  extent.  The  second, 
lying  west  of  Dee})  River,  which  is  here  running  north- 
ward, is  much  larger,  quite  level,  and  was  formerly  wet. 
As  it  spreads  southward  and  westward  it  grows  higher 
and  slopes  upward  along  a  ridge,  that  broad  prairie 
ridge  south  of  Turkey  Creek.  This  ridge,  and  for  several 
miles,  is  high  but  not  rolling  prairie.  Southward  slopes  the 
broad  expanse,  spreading  also  out  for  miles  to  the  west- 
ward, of  what  was  called,  in  early  times,  Robinson's  Prai- 
rie. Its  landmarks  were  the  Hodgeman  place,  Wiggins, 
Point,  Brown's  Point,  and  Solon  Robinson's,  afterwards 
Lake    C.   H. — that  is  Court  House, — and  finally,  Crown 


l6  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Point.  This  large  extent  of  prairie  contained  some  that 
was  low  and  wet,  some  high  ridges,  but  very  little  that 
could  be  called  rolling.  South  of  the  center  of  the  coun- 
ty the  prairie  spreads  out  over  nearly  the  whole  width, 
and  having  passed  the  water  shed  becomes,  in  the  south 
central  part,  truly  rolling.  It  is  not,  to  much  extent, 
broken  and  hilly,  but  contains  magnificent  slopes,  one 
succeeding  another,  gradually  descending  toward  the 
Kankakee  meadow  lands,  and  between  these  slopes  are 
broad  but  not  deep  valleys  where  armies  of  ten  thousand 
men  in  each  might  form  in  line  of  battle.  The  landmarks- 
here  are,  School  Grove,  South  East  (irove.  Plum  Grove, 
Orchard  Grove,  Hickory  point,  and  Pleasant  Grove. 
Between  South  East  Grove  and  Hickory  Point,  and  ex- 
tending southward  there  is  some  low  and  level  prairie. 
West  of  Pleasant  Grove  and  of  Cedar  Lake,  and  extend- 
ing south  to  the  Belshaw  Grove  and  west  to  the  West 
Creek  timber,  lies  the  gem  of  the  prairie  region  of  Indi- 
ana, known  as  Lake  Prairie.  Robinson's  Prairie  has 
more  size,  Door  Prairie  more  celebrity  ;  but  Lake  Prairie 
possesses,  according  to  my  taste,  more  perfect  beauty. 
Door  Prairie  is  rich  and  beautiful.  It  has  been  called 
the  Garden  of  the  West.  It  lies  on  the  route  of  travel. 
Lake  Prairie  is  seldom  seen  by  travelers'  or  tourists" 
eyes.  South  of  the  prairie  proper,  extending  across  the 
county,  lies  a  belt  of  marsh  or  meadow  land  five  or  six 
miles  in  breadth,  interspersed  with  islands  of  timber,  and 
bordering  the  channel  of  the  Kankakee  River.  A  part  i& 
dry,  a  part  is  wet  marsh.  This  marsh  region  makes  that 
river  remarkable.  A  river  is  known  to  be  there.  The 
blue  line  of  trees  marking  its  course  can  be  discerned  from 


KANKAKEE.  17 

the  prairie  heights  ;  but  only  occasionally,  in  mid  winter 
or  in  a  time  of  great  drouth,  can  one  come  near  its  water 
channel.  So  far  as  any  ordinary  access  to  it  from  this 
county  is  concerned  it  is  like  a  fabulous  river,  or  one  the 
existence  of  which  we  take  on  trust.  The  fowlers,  the 
trappers,  and  the  woodmen  have  looked  upon  its  slug- 
gish waters. 


LAKE    COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  II. 

1834 1839.       SQUA'I'TF.R    IJFE. 

I. 

In  the  year  1800  Indiana  became  an  organized  territory. 
Before  that  time  it  had  formed  a  part  of  the  almost  un- 
known and  trackless  wilds  of  the  North-West,  slightly 
explored  by  some  adventurous  Frenchmen  and  penetrated 
for  the  purpose  of  traffic  by  fur  traders.  As  early  as 
1679  and  1680  there  is  evidence  that  French  explorers 
passed  along  the  border,  and  perhaps  across  the  very 
center  of  what  is  now  Lake  county.  The  first  settlement 
in  Indiana  was  made  by  the  French  in  1690,  at  Vin-  '^3B 
cennes.  In  1816  Indiana  was  admitted  into  the  Union 
as  a  State.  But  the  northern  part  was  a  wilderness.  As 
late  as  1820  it  contained  only  fifty  counties,  and  of  these 
AVabash  had  147  inhabitants,  Owen  838,  and  Martin 
1032.  There  was  then  no  La  Porte  or  St.  Joseph  ;  there 
was  no  Marshall,  or  Pulaski,  or  Steuben;  no  northern 
Indiana.  Although  for  four  years  a  State,  and  contain- 
ing 147,178  inhabitants,  this  Lake  Michigan  region  was 
still  the  home  of  the  Red  Men  and  the  fur  traders. 

Chicago  became  Fort  Dearborn  in  1804,  and  was  a 
trading  post  for  corn  raised  by  the  Pottawatomies  in  their 
corn  villages  on  the   Des  Plaines  and  in  the   Fox  River 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  14^ 

Valley,  of  which  their  adopted  chief,  Alexander  Robin- 
son, or  Chee-chee-bing-way,  shipped,  in  1809,  about  100 
bushels  ;  and  also  for  fur,  which  the  Calumet  and  Kanka- 
kee region  furnished  abundantly.  In  181 2  took  place  the 
Fort  Dearborn  Massacre.  In  i8i6the  fort  was  restored. 
The  fur  trade  was  then  vigorously  carried  on,  and  con- 
nection, of  course,  kept  up  between  Fort  Dearborn  and 
Detroit. 

By  the  treaty  of  the  United  States  with  the  Pottawato- 
mies  in  1828,  a  strip  of  land  ten  miles  in  width  was  ac- 
quired along  the  northern  border  of  Indiana,  which  ex- 
tends in  a  narrow  strip  to  the  extreme  southern  limit  of 
Lake  Michigan.  This  was  the  first  land  purchased  from 
the  Indians  in  what  is  now  Lake  county.  By  the  treaty 
of  1832  the  remainder  of  this  county  was  acquired  and 
all  which  the  Pottawatomies  owned  in  the  State. 

Up  to  this  time  there  were  no  whites  in  all  this  region 
except  fur  traders,  perchance  some  hunters  and  trappers, 
and  the  soldiers  at  Fort  Dearborn.  In  this  year  took 
place  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  a  few  white  settlers  came 
into  what  is  now  La  Porte  county.  A  route  for  travel 
was  immediately  opened  along  the  beach  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. Three  men,  Hart,  Steel,  and  Sprague,  started  a 
stage  line  from  Detroit  to  Fort  Dearborn,  or  Chicago, 
probably  in  1833,  and  four-horse  coaches  were  placed  upon 
the  road.  And  now  the  stillness  of  nature  and  the  repose 
of  wild  life  was  broken.  White  covered  wagons  came, 
with  white  men,  and  women,  and  children,  white  as  ta 
race  but  brown  from  exposure, — "boys  in  their  sunny 
brown  beauty  and  men  in  their  rugged  bronze," — to  start 
new  echoes  in  the  wilderness,  to  lay  claim  to  the  beauti- 


20  LAKE    COUNTY. 

ful  prairies,  and  plant  all  over,  where  savages  had  reared 
their  wigwams  and  buried  their  dead,  the  seeds  of  a  Chris- 
tian civilization.  In  this  same  year  of  1833  a  man  named 
Bennett  settled  with  his  family  on  this  stage  route,  in  the 
limits  of  our  county,  near  the  old  mouth  of  the  Calumet, 
then  called  Calumic,  and  opened  a  house  of  entertain- 
ment, a  new  country  tavern.  The  Old  Soc  Trail,  began 
also  to  be  traveled  about  this  same  year,  leading  from 
La  Porte  to  the  Hickory  Creek  Settlement  in  Illinois,  and 
past  Cedar  Lake  to  the  Rapids  of  the  Kankakee.  It  was 
but  a  trail,  requiring  a  pioneer's  eye,  or  an  Indian's  sa- 
gacity, to  enable  one  to  follow  it  safely.  A  family  by  the 
name  of  Farwell,  afterwards  becoming  settlers  on  West 
Creek,  a  well-known  family  among  us,  then  from  the 
Green  Mountain  State,  were  endeavoring  to  follow  this 
trail  to  Hickory,  missed  the  way,  and  spent  the  4th  of 
July  1833,  where  Crown  Point  now  stands,  amid  an  un- 
broken solitude,  while  a  messenger  returned  eastward  for 
a  guide.  Mrs.  Farwell,  therefore,  a  decidedly  superior 
woman,  was  the  first  white  woman,  so  far  as  is  known, 
ever  on  this  spot  of  ground,  where  on  festive  occasions 
the  crowds  now  gather.  Indian  with  his  pony  could 
not  now  follow  that  Soc  Trail;  but  a  multitude  of  movers' 
teams  annually  pass  along  near  its  track,  on  the  Joliet 
Road. 

In  the  spring  of  1834  another  tavern  was  opened  on 
the  beach  of  Lake  Michigan  by  a  man  named  Berry. 
The  accommodation  at  these  log  cabin  taverns  was  suf- 
ficiently scanty  to  show  the  borders  of  civilization,  some- 
times as  many  as  fifty  sleeping  at  night  in  and  around  the 
mudded  walls,  and  the  food  was  flour  and  coffee,  without 


SQUATTER    LIFF.  21 

Tneat,  butter,  milk,  or  sugar,  and  the  ])rice  of  grain  and 
provisions  sufficiently  high  to  satisfy  an  ordinary  land- 
lord, oats  for  horse  feed  costing  three  dollars  a  bushel  at 
one  of  these  stage  houses. 

During  the  summer  of  1834  United  States  surveyors 
laid  out  most  of  the  land  in  Lake  county  into  sections, 
the  range  or  township  lines  having  been  previously  run. 
This  party  of  surveyors  camped,  for  a  week  in  June  or 
July,  -in  that  part  of  the  grove  now  owned  by  Dr.  Petti- 
bonea,  in  the  town  of  Crown  Point.  One  who  accom- 
panied this  party,  J.  Hurlburt,  an  old  settler  of  Porter, 
remembers  no  cabin  and  no  settler  at  that  time  in  any  of 
our  central  groves.  As  yet  the  squatters  were  not  here. 
He  remembers  some  cabins  along  the  stage  road  on  the 
lake  beach  and  thinks  that  Goodrich,  in  the  place  of 
Bennett,  then  kept  the  tavern  at  the  mouth  of  the  Calu- 
met. Burnside  had  this  job  of  surveying  from  the  Gov- 
ernment, but  the  work  here  was  done  by  St.  Clair. 

After  the  surveyors  came  the  claim  seekers.  There  is 
evidence  that  either  before  or  soon  after  that  week  of  en- 
campment just  mentioned,  one  W'm.  Butler  was  on  this 
ground  before  Solon  Robinson  came,  and  made  four 
claims,  for  himself,  for  his  brother  E.  P.  Butler,  for 
George  Wells,  and  for  I'heodore  Wells.  He  also  erected 
cabins  and  departed.  I  find  the  existence  of  three  cab- 
ins recognized  by  those  who  are  called  Lake  county's 
earliest  settlers.  T  think  they  were  the  Butler  cabins.  1 
now  reach  more  certain  data. 

In  September  1834,  Richard  Fancher,  Charles  Wilson, 

Robert  Wilkinson  and    two   nephews,  left    Attica  on    the 

Wabash,    three  in   a   wagon   and   two   mounted    on  good 

3 


22  I.AKK    (  OINIV. 

horses,  to  look  for  claims  in  the  newly  surveyed  north- 
west corner  of  the  State.  They  crossed  the  Kankakee 
at  the  head  of  the  rapids,  crossed  West  Creek  at  a  place 
which  was  selected  at  once  by  Wilkinson  for  a  home,  and 
came  up  to  ("edar  Lake.  They  camped  at  its  head  near 
the  old  inlet.  They  found  on  that  sand  ridge  an  Indian 
burial  ground.  They  kept  their  headquarters  at  the 
lake.  R.  Fancher  and  Charles  Wilson,  being  well 
mounted,  traveled  considerably  over  the  county. 
They  were  at  the  South  East  Crove  and  at  all  the  central 
parts.  The  surveyors  had  just  been  over  the  region. 
They  found  no  settlers.  They  saw  no  Indians,  but 
found  signs  of  late  Indian  occupancy.  R.  Fancher  se- 
lected a  part  of  section  17,  and  his  claim  gave  the  name 
to  that  little  lake.  Wilson  and  the  other  two  made 
claims  near  Cedar  Lake.  Charles  Wilson  selected  that 
quarter  section  afterwards  l)ought  by  Jacob  L.  ]>rown 
and  then  by  Hervey  Ball.  They  saw  a  black  bear  in  the 
woods  west  of  Cedar  Lake.  They  stayed  about  three 
weeks,  broke  up  their  encampment,  returned  to  the 
Wabash  and  waited  for  the  sjjring. 

The  October  sunshine  came,  the  large  fields  of  maize 
at  Indian  Town  had  ripened,  when  a  family  from  Jen- 
nings county,  Indians,  crossing  the  Kankakee  south  of 
T>a  Porte,  finding  J.  Hurlburt  for  a  guide  to  show 
them  that  central  grove  where  the  surveying  party  had 
camped  for  a  week,  entered,  as  settlers  seeking  a  home, 
on  the  borders  of  l,ake.  They  passed  Porter  sand  ridges, 
and  the  timber  that  skirted  Deep  River,  they  came  out 
©n  a  broad  expanse  of  prairie  and  looked  admiringly 
Kound.     He  who  was  to  give  that  prairie  name,  who  was 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  23 

to  map  out  the  county,  count  its  sections,  keep  its  first 
records,  now  stood  upon  its  soil, — Solon  Robinson, — who 
was  afterwards  called  "The  Squatter-King  of  Lake." 
I  will  let  him  speak  for  himself  here.  I  quote  from  "The 
Cultivator,"  published  at  Albany,  New  York,  Vol.  viii, 
page  19  :  "It  was  the  last  day  of  October,  1834,  when  I 
first  entered  this  '  arm  of  the  Grand  Prairie.'  It  was 
about  noon,  of  a  clear,  delightful  day,  when  we  emerged 
from  the  wood,  and,  for  miles  around,  stretched  forth  one 
broad  expanse  of  clear,  open  land.  At  that  time  the 
whole  of  this  county  scarcely  showed  a  sign  that  the 
white  man  had  yet  been  here,  except  those  of  my  own 
household.  I  stood  alone,  wrapt  up  in  that  peculiar  sen- 
sation that  man  only  feels  when  beholding  a  prairie  for  the 
first  time — it  is  an  indescribable,  delightful  feeling.  Oh, 
what  a  rich  mine  of  wealth  lay  outstretched  before  me. 
Some  ten  miles  away  to  the  southwest,  the  tops  of  a  grove 
were  visible.  Toward  that  onward  rolled  the  wagons, 
with  nothing  to  impede  them.  *  *  *  *  j^^t  before 
sundown  we  reached  the  grove  and  pitched  our  tent  by 
the  side  of  a  spring.  What  could  exceed  the  beauty  of 
this  spot !  Why  should  we  seek  farther  ?  Here  is  every- 
thing to  indicate  a  healthy  location  which  should  always 
influence  the  new  settler.  *  '"  '"  *  After  enjoying 
such  a  night  of  rest  as  can  only  be  enjoyed  after  such  a 
day,  the  morning  helped  to  confirm  us  that  here  should 
be  our  resting  place.  In  a  (e\v  hours  the  grove  resound- 
ed with  the  blows  of  the  axe,  and  in  four  days  we  moved 
into  our  'new  house.'  " 

In  that   same  October  two,  perhaps   three,  from   the 
Wabash  region,  also  coming  by  way  of  La  Porte,  passed 


24  I.AKK    (  ()l  NTN'. 

on  horseback  to  the  northwest  liank  of  Cedar  Lake-. 
There  were  Dr.  Hrown,  David  Hornor,  and  prol)al)ly,  also. 
I'homas  Hornor. 

On  the  first  day  of  November,  Flenry  Wells  and  Lu- 
man  A.  Fowler,  having  left  their  horses  on  Twent} 
Mile  Prairie,  came  to  Solon  Robinson's  tent.  They,  too, 
passed  on  to  Cedar  Lake  and  tound  the  three  just 
mentioned  there.  Hungry  and  tired,  they  partook  of 
some  roasted  raccoon  meat  for  su])per,  lodged  "  in  a 
leafy  tree  top,"  and  returned  the  next  day  to  the  Robin- 
son camp.  The  little  party  from  the  Wal)ash  made 
several  claims,  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake,  and  then  re- 
turned to  their  homes,  to  be  ready  for  remo\  ing  in  the 
coming  spring. 

There  is  in  my  possession  the  original  Claim  Register, 
containing  not  only  a  record  of  the  claims,  when  made, 
by  whom,  where  the  settlers  were  from,  with  date  of  set- 
tlement, but  also  the  Ceneral  Rerord  and  Constitution 
of  the  .Sciuatters'  I'nion  of  Lake  Count).  This  do<'u- 
ment  I  have  had  occasion  ()uite  thoroughh   to  examine. 

.\ccording  to  the  Register,  claims  were  made  in  the 
year  1834  by   the  following  persons: 

E.  L.  Palmer,  in  .Vjiril.  for  himself  and  for  L  l>.  Co.\, 
L.  Cox,  and  E.  Cox;  (The  timber  connected  with  these 
was  not  claimed  till  December  8,  1836,  and  they  are  all 
afterwards  marked  "  forfeit."  They  lie  in  the  western 
tier  of  sections  in  Range  10.  I  conclude  that  none  of 
these  settled  in  1534,  and  in  April  the  sections  were  not 
laid  off  by  the  U.  S.  surveyors.)  Wm.  S.  Thornburg, 
Thomas  Thornburg,  AN'm.  Crooks,  and  Sam'l  Miller,  in 
June;  Robert  Wilkinson,  Noah   A.  Wilkinson,  Noah   B. 


SQUATTER    L.IFE.  25 

Clark,  R.  Fancher,  Thomas  Childers,  Thomas  Hornor, 
Solon  Robinson,  and  Milo  Robinson  in  October  ;  T.  S. 
Wilkison,  Robert  Wilkison,  IJ.  Wilkison,  Thomas  Brown, 
Jacob  1..  Brown,  Thomas  H.  Brown,  Wm.  Clark,  J.  W. 
Holton.  H.  Wells,  David  Hornor,  L.  A.  Fowler,  J.  B. 
Curtis,  Elyas  Myrick,  Wm.  Myrick,  Thomas  Reed,  in 
November;  and  W.  A.  W.  Holton.  Harriet  Holton, 
widow,  Jesse  Pierce,  David  Pierce.  John  Rnssell,  and 
Wm.  Montgomery,  in  December. 

I  find  none  of  these  settling  in  1834  except  Childers, 
S.  Robinson,  Crooks  and  Miller,  L.  A.  Fowler,  Robert 
Wilkison,  and  Jesse  and  David  Pierce.  The  fact  of  the 
settlement,  m  this  year,  of  Crooks,  Miller,  and  the  two 
Pierces,  rests  only  on  the  somewhat  uncertain  data  given 
in  the  Register  —  uncertain,  because  intentions  were 
there  recorded  as  facts,  and  men  then  as  now  could  not 
always  accomplish  their  intentions.  The  date  of  the 
claim  in  the  Register  is  certain  :  of  time  of  settlement, 
^lightly  uncertain. 

1  have  inserted  two  names  as  claimants  of  land  in  1834 
which  1  do  not  find  thus  registered.  R.  Fancher  and 
I'homas  Childers;  but  both  these  were  on  section  17, 
upon  which  was  laid  an  "  Indian  float."  The  following 
is.  according  to  Solon  Robinson's  Records,  the  order  of 
settling  of  the  first  few  families  in  Lake. 

In  October.  1834,  Thomas  Childers  and  family  settled 
on  the  South-east  Quarter  of  Section  17,  in  the  edge 
of  School  Grove.  His  name  and  that  of  his  wife  must 
therefore  stand  on  this  record  as  the  first  known  settlers 
in  the  central  part  of  the  county.  On  the  last  day  of 
October  Solon  Robinson  and  family  settled   in  that  point 


26  [,AKK    l.OL'Xl'V. 

of  tile  timber  which  now  forms  such  :i  well  know  n  part 
of  the  town  of  Crown  Point, 

To  Solon  Robinson  must  be  awarded  the  honor  of 
being  first  in  Crown  Point,  and  second  only,  as  a  resident, 
in  the  central  part  of  the  county.  It  is  said,  on  good  au- 
thority, that  he  once  gave  great  offense  to  Thomas  Chil- 
ders  by  remarking  that  his  wife,  Mrs.  Robinson,  was  the 
first  white  woman  settling  in  Lake  county.  'I'he  word 
white  was  understood  to  be  in  contrast,  not  with  red,  de- 
noting Indian  women,  but  with  dark  or  swarthy,  thus  cast- 
ing a  reflection  on  the  complexion  of  Mrs.  Childers. 

The  third  family  arriving  was  that  of  Robert  Wilkin- 
son, who  settled  on  Deep  River,  where  the  only  ford 
known  in  early  times  was  situated. 

This  family  settled  late  in  November.  In  January, 
1835,  Lyman  Wells,  and  with  him  an  unmarried  man, 
John  Driscoll,  settled  a  little  south-east  of  what  is  now 
the  town  of  Lowell.  Lyman  Wells  had  a  wife  and  f(nir 
or  five  children. 

About  the  middle  of  February,  coming  from  Jennings 
county,  Indiana,  William  C'lark  and  family,  and  with  them 
W.  A.  W.  Holton,  and  mother,  and  sister,  reached  the 
hospitable  home  of  Solon  Robinson,  making  the  fifth  and 
sixth  families,  and  increasing  to  eight  the  number  of  men 
ars  settlers.  I  count  here  eight,  as  a  young  man  was  that 
winter  domiciled  with  the  Robinson  family  whose  name 
was  afterwards  well  known  to  the  inhabitants  of  Lake. 
This  was  Luman  A.  Fowler.  A  few  days  afterwards 
the  seventh  family  arrived,  the  fourth  for  the  Robinson 
settlement,  J.  W.  Holton  with  his  wife  and  child.  In  the 
spring  Richard  Fancher  with  his  family  reached  his  claim 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  27 

on  the  bank  of  what  has  since  been  called  Fancher's  Lake. 
Ceasing  now  to  name  the  families  in  their  order,  I  insert 
some  of  the  incidents  connected  with  the  winter  trip  of 
the  Clark  family. 

The  route  by  way  of  the  rapids,  of  Sugar,  and  Bun- 
kum, and  Parrish  Grove,  to  the  Wabash,  was  dreary 
enough  and  desolate  in  the  early  fall  of  1848,  when  I 
first  tried  that  road  to  Indianapolis ;  but  what  must  it 
have  been  in  mid-winter  in  1835  '  That  February  was  a 
winter  month  unusually  severe.  The  wagons  drawn  by 
ox  teams,  which  most  of  the  settlers  then  used  instead  of 
horses,  had  slowly  wended  their  way,  bearing  one  family 
with  several  children,  the  father  and  mother  then  in  the 
full  prime  of  life,  the  other  family  a  widowed  mother 
with  a  son  who  had  entered  manhood  and  a  daughter 
also  grown  up, and  having  crossed  the  bleak  open  prairie 
north  of  Sugar  they  came  to  the  Kankakee  marsh. 
This  was  "  covered  with  ice  upon  which  night  overtook 
them  endeavoring  to  force  their  ox  teams  across.  There 
was  no  house,  and  they  were  unprepared  for  camping  out, 
and  one  of  the  most  severe  cold  nights  about  closing  in 
upon  them  surrounded  by  a  wide  field  of  ice  upon  which 
the  already  frightened  and  tired  oxen  refused  to  go  fur- 
ther, and  not  a  tree  or  stick  of  firewood  near  them. 
These  families  upon  this  night  might  have  perished  had 
they  not  providentially  discovered  a  set  of  logs  that 
some  one  had  hauled  out  upon  a  little  knoll  near  by  to 
build  a  cabin  with,  and  with  which  they  were  enabled  to 
build  a  fire,  to  warm  a  tent  made  out  of  the  covering  of 
their  wagons,  and  which  enabled  them  to  shelter  them- 
selves  from  the  blast  that  swept   over  the  wide  prairie 


28  [,AK.K    tOUN  IS  . 

almost  as  unimpeded  as  over  the  moimlain  \\a\cs  oi  the 
ocean.  The  next  day,  by  diverging  ten  miles  out  of 
their  course,  they  reached  a  little  miserable  hut  (jf  an  old 
Frenchman,  who  lived  with  his  half  Indian  famib  on  the 
fCankakee ;  here  they  stayed  two  days  and  nights.  Such 
was  the  severity  of  the  weather  that  they  dared  not  leave 
their  uncomfortable  (juarters,  and  when  they  did  so 
they  had  to  make  a  road  for  the  o.xen  across  the  river  b\ 
spreading  hay  upon  the  ice  and  freezing  it  down  1)\ 
pouring  on  water."  The  name  of  this  French  trader 
who  so  kindly  gave  them  shelter  was  pronounced  Sho- 
bar.  He  lived  where  now  is  Kankakee  City,  forty  miles 
from  their  destination.  They  found  at  ^'ellow  Head  one 
family.  Stayed  there  over  night.  Came  to  West  Creek, 
following  a  blind  Indian  trail.  The  oxen  broke  through 
the  ice  of  this  stream,  and  were  extricated  with  difficult). 
At  length  the  wagons  were  brought  over,  and  the  trail 
leading  across  Lake  Prairie  was  followed  up.  On  differ- 
ent trails  Solon  Robinson  had  erected  guide-boards,  and 
these  voyagers  just  before  dark  found  one  which  the\ 
gladly  hailed  :  "To  Solon  Robinson's,  5  miles  North." 
Soon  after  night-fall  they  reached  his  lone  but  hos])itable 
cabin.  There  are  those  yet  among  us,  rh(jmas  Clark 
and  Alexander  Clark,  who  remember  well  the  severities 
of  that  winter  trip.  The  pioneers  in  every  part  of  this 
country,  whether  they  came  amid  the  snows  and  ice  of 
winter  or  the  flowers  of  summer,  or,  as  the  family  of 
which  I  was  a  member  came,  amid  the  deep  mud,  and 
crossing  the  bridgeless  streams  of  December,  knew  the 
meaning  of  privations  and  of  hardships.  But  all  seem  to 
have  borne   them   with  great  cheerfulness.       The  hardy 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  29 

came,  the  intelligent  came,  men  and  women  mostly 
young  or  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  happy,  light  hearted 
children.  Years  afterwards  the  Pierian  Society  at 
Crown  Point,  some  of  them  descendants  of  these  early 
pioneers,  adopted  for  their  motto,  Per  aspera  ad  astraj 
that  is.  Through  difficulties  to  success.  Then  were  some 
difficulties,  in  the  squatter  period  of  our  history;  and  7iow, 
as  our  respected  citizen,  A.  Clark,  looks  at  the  young, 
growing  city  two  miles  from  his  home,  hears  the  whistle 
of  the  cars,  looks  over  his  well  cultivated  farm,  and  at 
his  spring  in  the  meadow  that  will  furnish  water  daily  for 
a  thousand  cattle,  enjoys  the  facilities  that  have  come 
into  being  since  those  days  of  his  boyhood,  he  enjoys 
with  others  the  success. 

I  return  to  the  winter  of  1834.  Four  families  were  on 
sections  8  and  5,  at  its  close,  one  was  in  School  Grove, 
one  near  Lowell,  one  probably  on  Deep  River,  one  on 
Turkey  Creek,  and  three  or  four,  it  is  probable,  were 
scattered  among  the  sand  ridges  of  North  Township. 
Gladly  would  I  record  all  their  names  on  this  page  of 
history  could  I  only  rescue  them  from  the  oblivion  which 
has  already  come.  Some  incidents  of  the  first  winter  are 
pressing  forward  for  a  record. 

The  oxen  lived  on  browse  and  a  little  corn,  and  that 
was  more  than  the  deer  had.  But  the  oxen  grew  hungry 
and  became  lean.  Food  for  the  children  became  scarce. 
Corn  bins  and  mills  were  forty  miles  away.  Provisions 
gave  out  in  L.  Wells'  family  and  they  made  a  supper  of 
a  big  owl,  and  were  on  the  point  of  roasting  a  w'olf  when 
a  different  supply  arrived.  At  a  later  period  this  same 
Wells,  returning  from  a  mill  in  La  Porte  county,  "  com- 


50  LAKE    COUNTY. 

ing  from  Wilkinson's  crossing  of  Deep  River  after  dark, 
missed  his  course,  for  there  was  no  path,  and  got  on  to 
Deep  River  somewhere  about  south  of  the  Hodgman 
place,  broke  through  the  ice,  and  with  great  difficulty- 
succeeded  in  getting  his  horses  loose;  and  in  undertak- 
ing to  get  back  to  a  house  on  Twenty  Mile  Prairie,  riding 
one  horse  and  leading  the  other,  he  came  unexpectedly 
to  a  steep  bank  of  the  river  in  the  dark  and  pitched  head- 
long down  a  dozen  feet  into  the  water  and  floating  ice. 
He  clung  to  one  horse  and  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
other  shore  and  getting  near  enough  to  the  house  to 
make  himself  heard  by  the  loud  cries  he  gave  as  the  only 
means  of  saving  his  life.  About  noon  next  day  he  found 
his  other  horse  on  a  little  island  near  where  they  made 
the  fearful  plunge,  but  it  was  near  night  when  he  found 
his  wagon." 

Solon  Robinson's  account  of  "  the  first  trip  to  mill  " 
from  his  cabin,  published  in  the  Cultivator  in  1841,  Vol. 
VIII,  page  67,  was  one  of  those  sketches  which  gave  to 
him  his  earlier  celebrity  as  a  writer. 

It  is  too  lengthy  to  be  reproduced  here.  I  give,  how- 
ever, a  few  sentences.  December  had  arrived.  It  was 
found  that  the  supply  of  food  would  last  five  or  six  days 
only,  when  **  a  trusty  and  persevering  messenger  was  dis- 
patched "  to  obtain  a  new  supply.  "  Never  were  such 
appetites  seen  before  as  those  which  daily  diminished  the 
fast  failing  stock  of  provisions  of  our  little  family  in  the 
wilderness."  The  meal  was  exhausted,  "the  knife  had 
scraped  the  last  bone  for  breakfast,"  on  the  sixth  day 
after  the  messenger's  departure.  A  small  bag  of  wheat 
bran  was  found.      No  lard,  no  butter,  no  meat,  no  milk. 


•SQUATTER    LIFE.  3 1 

"  Bran  cakes  and  cranberries  sweetened  with  honey 
then  were  sweet  diet.  Although  the  owner  of  a  gun 
that  rarely  failed  to  perform  good  service,  it  seemed  that 
every  living  thing  in  the  shape  of  game  had  hid  up  in 
winter  quarters."  "On  the  sixth,  seventh,  eighth  and 
ninth  days,  anxious  and  watchful  eyes  scanned  the  prai- 
rie by  day,  and  tended  beacon  fires  by  night,  for  this  pre- 
caution was  necessary,  as  there  was  nothing  to  guide  the 
expected  teamster  home,  should  he  undertake  the  peril- 
ous passage  of  the  prairie  just  at  night  fall.  It  was  about 
midnight  of  the  last  day,  and  I  had  tired  of  watching 
and  had  laid  down,  but  not  to  sleep."  A  sound  was 
heard  as  of  steps  on  the  frozen  ground.  Soon  a  voice 
was  heard.  "  What  joyful  sounds !  But  the  joy  was 
soon  damped,  as  it  became  manifest  that  he  drove  a 
team  without  a  wagon.  Where  is  that.?  was  the  first 
question.  '  Fast  in  the  river  a  few  miles  back  on  the 
prairie.'  '  Do  you  know  we  have  nothing  in  the  house 
for  your  supper  ?'  'I  expected  so,  and  so  I  brought 
along  a  bag-full;  here  is  both  flour  and  meat.'"  Then 
the  hickory  logs  began  to  blaze,  and  soon  there  was  a 
supper.  '  Such  scenes  of  excitement,  of  pain  and  pleas- 
ure, often  occur  to  the  western  emigrant."  "And  it  is 
because  the  emigrant's  life  is  full  of  such  exciting  scenes, 
and  because  the  days  of  pleasure  are  long  remembered, 
when  those  of  pain  are  buried  in  oblivion,  that  induces 
thousands  annually  to  add  themselves  to  that  irresistible 
wave  of  emigration  that  is  rolling  onward  to  the  Pacific 
ocean."  Many  other  families  had  their  mill  trips  in  the 
few  next  succeeding  years,  some  of  which  may  find  their 
place  in  this  record.     If  some  were  hungry,  none  starved, 


32  LAKE    COUNTV. 

and  no  one  died  during  the  first  winter  spent  by  squat- 
ters in  Lake. 

In  the  spring  of  1835  settlers  began  to  come  in  more 
rapidly.  In  March,  Richard  Fancher  again  entered  the 
county,  with  two  assistants,  and  erected  a  cabin  on  his 
claim.  He  brought  up  a  load  of  provisions  and  goods, 
drawn  by  two  yoke  of  oxen,  deposited  them  at  Solon 
Robinson's,  and  returned  for  his  family.  He  arrived 
with  them  and  settled  in  April.  In  the  same  month 
Wayne  Bryant,  Simeon  and  Samuel  D.  Bryant,  a  brother- 
in-law  named  Agnew,  and  David  Bryant,  commenced 
what  was  known  for  years  as  "  the  Bryant  Settlement." 
Elias  Bryant  also  joining  them  in  the  Fall.  To  E.  W. 
generally  called  Wayne  Bryant,  is  attributed  the  naming 
of  the  grove  where  they  settled.  His  wagon  reached  a 
grove  in  the  afternoon.  They  camped  there  for  the  night. 
In  the  morning  the  bright  spring  sunshine  of  April  shone 
over  the  broad  prairie  lying  eastward,  and  gilded  the 
trees  westward,  then  putting  on  their  green  foliage.  The 
little  birds,  which  had  been  accustomed  to  sing  only  for 
the  Indian  children  and  the  deer,  were  no  doubt  flitting 
amid  the  green  boughs,  and  as  the  white  family  looked 
around  that  morning  and  listened,  they  said,  "  How 
pleasant.  We  will  stop  here."  And  they  gave  it  the 
name  which  it  has  ever  since  borne,  of  "  Pleasant  Grove." 
But  a  trial  came  upon  them  in  that  early  springtime.  On 
the  fourth  of  April  there  came  "a  most  terrible  snow 
storm,  the  weather  previous  having  been  mild  as  sum- 
mer," and  the  brother-in-law,  Agnew,  overtaken  by  night 
on  the  prairie  east  of  Pleasant  Grove,  perished  with  the 
cold.     This  was  the  first  death  among  the  settlers ;  no 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  33 

places  had  been  selected  for  burial ;  and  these  remains 
were  deposited  in  a  cemetery  on  Morgan  Prairie,  in 
Porter  county. 

The  Agnew  family,  nevertheless,  took  possession  of  the 
claim  and  the  settlement  went  on. 

In  May  the  Myricks  came,  Elias  and  William,  and 
Thomas  Reed,  and  commenced  the  "  Myrick  Settle- 
ment. "  Robert  Wilkinson  took  possession  of  his  claim  on 
West  Creek;  and  in  the  month  of  May  S.  P.  String- 
ham  and  J.  Foley  settled  on  Centre  Prairie. 

Cedar  Lake  was  not  forgotten.  A  party  of  seven,  Dr. 
Thomas  Brown,  Jacob  L.  Brown,  David  Hornor  and  four 
sons,  Thomas,  George,  Amos,  and  Levi,  came  from  the 
AV abash  region,  in  the  month  of  September,  and  camped 
near  the  bank  on  the  west  side  of  Cedar  Lake.  They 
took  up  more  claims,  erected  cabins,  put  up  hay,  staid 
about  two  weeks.  During  this  stay  they  found  a  bee 
tree  in  the  grove  a  little  north  of  their  camp,  which  tree 
they  cut  down.  They  filled  a  three  gallon  jar  with 
strained  honey,  they  filled  a  wash  tub  full,  and  made  an 
ash  trough  and  filled  that,  all  from  the  contents  of  this 
tree,  which  was  estimated  to  yield  at  least  five  hundred 
pounds  of  good  honey.  The  honey-bee  is  known  to 
precede  the  white  man.  The  early  settlers  cut  a  good 
many  bee  trees;  Solon  Robinson  speaks  of  "a  dozen 
honey  trees  to  be  cut  and  taken  care  of  "  during  his  first 
winter ;  but  few  probably  yield  as  much  honey  as  this 
one  on  the  Brown  claim. 

This  party  was  fortunate  in  securing  food.  Passing 
out  of  the  county,  returning  home,  they  saw  on  the  Illi- 
nois prairie  seven  wild   turkeys.     They  unharnessed  the 


34  LAKE    COUNTY. 

four  horses  from  their  wagon,  and  four  of  them  mount- 
ing, gave  chase,  taking  care  to  keep  the  turkeys  from  en- 
tering the  wood.  They  captured  five  out  of  the  seven 
without  firing  a  shot.  They  paid  two  for  their  meal  at  the 
next  stopping  place.  Lacy,  the  landlord  here,  was  the 
only  settler  on  the  route  between  Parrish  Grove  and  But- 
terfield's.  His  hotel  was  about  twelve  feet  square.  "  On 
a  rainy  night  the  floor  and  the  very  hearth-stone  would 
be  covered  all  over  with  men  seeking  repose. 

In  October,  this  party  returned  with  their  families,  and 
the  Hornor  settlement  was  now  made.  On  the  west  bank 
of  Cedar  Lake  was  Jacob  L.  Brown,  and  next  north  of 
him  was  Aaron  Cox.  In  the  edge  of  the  grove  west  was 
Thomas  Hornor,  and  in  the  West  Creek  woods  the  cabin 
was  situated  contafcing  the  large  family  of  David  Hor- 
nor. About  half  way  between  the  cabin  of  Thomas 
Hornor  and  that  of  Robert  Wilkinson,  Jesse  Bond  settled 
during  this  summer,  and  south  of  him,  Thomas  Wiles. 
There  also  came  in  this  year  Robert  Hamilton ;  John 
Wood,  from  Massachusetts,  came  and  made  a  claim ; 
Milo  Robinson  from  New  York  city  joined  his  brother 
Solon  in  November;  and  in  December,  Henry  Wells,  of 
Massachusetts,  became  a  resident  of  Lake. 

I  cannot  find  sufficient  data  for  tracing  out  all  the 
settlers  of  the  summer  of  1835  ;  yet,  the  claim  register 
being  authority,  they  were  not  very  numerous ;  although 
Robinson's  record  says,  "In  the  fall  of  1835  we  had 
grown  into  so  much  importance  that  the  tax  collector 
from  La  Porte  came  up  to  pay  us  a  visit,  which  was  about 
as  welcome  as  such  visits  generally  are." 

I  return  to  the  Robinson  settlement,  the  spring  of  1835. 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  35 

Four  families,  it  will  be  remembered,  from  Jennings 
county,  were  settled  near  together. 

The  prairie  sod  was  not  favorable  for  an  early  garden, 
but  an  old  Indian  corn  field  furnished  a  garden  spot 
which  the  four  families  divided  out  and  cultivated,  and 
on  which  they  raised  their  first  vegetables.  A  breaking 
plow  was  started  May  12th,  and  the  first  furrow  turned 
was  across  the  quarter  section  where  now  Main  street 
runs,  beginning  at  the  present  line  of  North  street  and 
ending  on  South  street,  or  at  the  Eddy  place.  Twelve 
acres  of  oats  were  raised,  and  some  corn  and  buckwheat. 
Some  of  this  buckwheat  sent  to  mill  by  the  Clark  family, 
was  probably  the  first  grist  sent  from  Lake  county.  The 
mill  was  forty  miles  distant.  The  first  speculation  made 
was  in  oats.  Wm.  Clark  and  Wm.  Holton  had  bought 
oats  in  the  spring  of  '35,  in  La  Porte  county,  intending 
them  for  seed,  for  fifty  cents  a  bushel.  Thinking  it  too 
late  to  sow  when  they  reached  their  claims,  they  hauled 
the  oats  back  and  sold  them  for  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents 
a  bushel.  The  price  had  gone  immediately  up.  Oats, 
corn,  and  wheat,  then,  all  sold  for  the  same  price. 

Warner  Holton  dug  a  well.  He  dug  four  feet  and 
found  water  which  supplied  two  families.  This  well  was 
near  the  present  railroad  depot.  As  the  water  receded 
the  well  was  made  deeper  until  in  after  years  it  reached 
the  depth  of  twelve  feet. 

Not  forgetful  of  their  national  history  in  their  isola- 
tion, this  little  colony  celebrated  the  Fourth  of  July,  1835, 
by  going  to  Cedar  Lake  and  taking  a  boat  ride  on  its 
crystal  waters.  In  the  fall  these  settlers  saw  their  first 
prairie  fire,  and  some  of  them  were  quite  alarmed  at  its 


36  LAKE    COUNTY. 

threatening  aspect.  A  true  prairie  fire  is  a  magnificent 
and  sometimes  an  alarming  sight.  Many  a  time  were  the 
first  settlers  called  out  to  fight  for  hours  by  day  and  by 
night  against  this  raging  element,  endeavoring,  some- 
times vainly,  to  protect  their  fences,  to  protect  their  hay 
stacks,  and  even  obliged  to  protect  their  log  cabins. 
There  was  then  little  to  obstruct  and,  with  a  favorable 
wind,  the  fire  would  sweep  along  the  surface,  consuming 
the  tall  dry  grass,  with  fearful  rapidity.  The  great  hope 
of  protection  lay  in  setting  back  fires  and  controlling 
them  before  they  gained  much  headway. 

The  winter  of  1835-36  was  one  of  some  hardships  and 
privations.  As  an  illustration  I  go  to  a  family  west  of 
Cedar  Lake.  Six  hundred  Pottawatomie  Indians  are 
camped  within  half  a  mile  of  their  little  home.  The 
Indians  bring  venison  to  exchange  for  salt  pork.  They 
give  a  large  amount  of  venison  sometimes  for  a  few 
pounds  of  pork.  Venison  is  plenty;  pork  is  scarce. 
The  winter  is  nearly  gone,  the  Indians  leave  their  camp- 
ing ground,  the  pork  is  low  in  the  barrel,  and  two  teams 
start  for  the  Wabash — the  great  place  of  supply — to  ob- 
tain more  provisions.  The  winter  breaks  up.  The 
water  rises,  as  the  spring  flood  comes.  The  streams  are 
bridgeless.  Return  is  impossible.  Weeks  pass,  and  eat- 
ables are  very  scarce.  One-half  bushel  of  buckwheat, 
brought  up  for  seed,  is  in  the  house.  This  is  ground  in 
a  coffee  mill,  and  made  into  cakes.  The  mother  eats 
very  little.  A  son  says  to  her,  "  Mother,  we  shall  not 
starve.  We  can  kill  a  cow  if  it  becomes  absolutely  ne- 
cessary." Spring  has  come.  Two  of  the  sons  go  out 
with   the   oxen  to  break  some  prairie.     Presently  Levi 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  37 

says  to  his  brother,  "  I  am  so  faint  and  weak,  I  can  go  no 
further."  It  seems  like  the  time  for  giving  up.  They 
look  off  on  the  prairie  far  to  the  south,  and  lo  !  the  white 
covered  wagons  are  coming.  Two  settlers  some  miles 
northward,  Bea  and  Chase,  who  had  seen  them  too,  and 
were  living  on  venison,  hastened  down  and  obtained  a 
half  bushel  of  corn  meal  before  the  wagons  were  unloaded. 
This  was,  for  that  family,  a  happy  day.  About  two  months 
had  passed  since  the  wagons  left  home  to  get  more  food, 
and  no  tidings  from  them  came.  The  joy  of  that  return, 
and  of  again  partaking  of  abundant  food,  one  yet  living 
remembers  well,  Amos  Hornor  of  Ross,  the  only  one  left 
of  all  the  earliest  settlers  west  of  Cedar  Lake. 

Other  families  had  their  privations;  and  other  families 
experienced  the  great  joy  of  a  father  returning  and  bring- 
ing plenty. 

At  the  session  of  the  Legislature  of  Indiana  of  1835-36, 
the  territory  north  of  the  Kankakee  and  east  of  La  Porte 
county  was  divided  into  Porter  and  Lake.  Porter  was 
organized  and  Lake  attached  to  it.  Both  had  been  pre- 
viously attached  to  La  Porte  for  judicial  purposes.  ■ 

In  the  spring  of  1836  the  commissioners  appointed  to 
make  this  division  divided  the  territory  of  Lake  into 
three  townships.  North,  Centre,  and  South,  and  ordered 
an  election  for  justice  of  the  peace  in  each  township. 
This  was  the  first  election  held  in  Lake  County.  Amsi 
L.  Ball  was  elected  in  North,  Solon  Robinson  in  Centre, 
and  Robert  Wilkinson  in  South  Township.  These  jus- 
tices held  office  till  the  county  organization  took  place. 
According  to  my  authority  here,  the  justice  in  North  had 
5    two  or  three  cases,  in  Centre  one,  in  South  none. 


38  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Settlers  came  in  this  year  rajjidly.  On  the  east  side  of 
Cedar  Lake  Adonijah  Taylor  and  Horace  P^dgerton,  Hor- 
ace Taylor  and  Dr.  Calvin  Lilley  established  themselves. 
At  the  head  of  the  lake  the  Nordyke  family,  Hiram  Nor- 
dyke,  sen.,  and  sons,  and  sons-in-law,  H.  Bones  and  J. 
C.  Batten,  made  claims  ;  and  also  Solomon  Russell.  On 
the  southwest  shore  of  the  lake  the  two  fishermen  fam- 
ilies settled,  Jonathan  Gray  and  Lyman  Mann.  The 
Church  family,  Richard  Church  and  sons,  Darling,  John, 
and  Charles,  and  son-in-law,  Leonard  Cutler,  from  the 
state  of  New  York,  settled  on  Prairie  West.  James  Far- 
well  and  sons,  Major,  Abel,  and  Carlos,  took  up  claims 
over  West  Creek,  and  a  number  of  others  soon  joined 
them.  Of  these  others  Charles  Marvin  yet  remains.  I 
name  a  few  others  among  the  many  whose  names  are 
given  as  claimants  in  1836.  John  .McClean,  in  the  Bel- 
shaw  Grove;  Jacob  Mendenhall  and  Wm.  A.  Purdy,  near 
Lowell ;  Moffard,  Orrin  Smith,  and  Joseph  Morris,  in 
South  East  Grove;  William  Merrill  and  Dudley  Merrill 
near  Centreville;  three , brothers  by  the  name  of  Greene, 
Sylvester  T.,  Edward,  and  Elisha,  north  of  Cedar  Lake; 
and  three  families  of  Van  Volkenburgs,  also  Cassidy, 
Prentice,  and  David  Fowler,  north  of  the  Robinson  set- 
tlement. In  September  George  Earle  settled  at  Liver- 
pool. 

Squatter  life  was  busy  during  the  summer  of  this  year, 
erecting  cabins  in  the  groves  and  making  little  patches  of 
breaking  on  the  prairies.  Here  and  there  also  fences 
appeared;  yet  over  the  larger  prairies  few  were  the  signs 
of  civilization  when  this  season  closed. 

A   Methodist   Episcopal    missionary   preacher  named 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  39 

Jones,  sent  by  the  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Northern  Indi- 
ana Conference,  who  was  then  residing  at  South  Bend, 
found  his  way,  during  this  summer,  into  the  county,  and 
preached  at  the  house  of  Thomas  Reed  and  probably  at 
Pleasant  Grove. 

The  town  of  Liverpool  was  laid  out,  probably,  in  the 
spring  of  this  year  ;  and  in  July  lots  were  sold  there 
amounting  to  $16,000.  Payment  was  made  partly  in 
cash,  partly  in  notes.  Bonds  were  given  for  the  execu- 
tion of  deeds  upon  the  payment  of  the  notes.  One  of 
these  bonds  is  now  in  my  possession,  binding  John  B. 
Chapman,  Henry  Fredrickson,  and  Nathaniel  Davis,  "  in 
the  penal  sum  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  dollars,  good  and 
lawful  money  of  the  United  States," — there  was  "  wild 
cat  money  "  in  those  days — to  execute  a  deed  to  S.  Ed- 
wards of  lot  number  107,  on  the  payment  of  notes- 
amounting  to  sixty  dollars,  twenty  dollars  having  been 
paid  in  cash.  The  bond  bears  date  July  12th,  1836,  and 
was  signed  in  presence  of  George  H.  Phillips. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  July,  in  this  year,  the  "Squatters' 
Union  of  Lake  County"  was  organized.  The  following 
is  a  copy  from  the  original  record  : 

"At  a  meeting  of  a  majority  of  the  citizens  of 
Lake  County,  held  at  the  house  of  Solon  Rob- 
inson on  the  4th  of  July,  1836,  for  the  purpose  of 
adopting  measures  and  forming  a  constitution  for 
the  better  security  of  the  settlers  upon  the  public 
lands,  Wm.  Clark  was  unanimously  elected  to  preside 
over  the  meeting,  and  Solon  Robinson  for  secretary. 
After  hearing  the  object  stated  for  which  the  meeting  was 
called  it  was  moved  that  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed 
to  report  a  constitution  and  rules  for  the  government  of 


40  LAKE    COL" N TV. 

the  meml^ers  of  this  Union.  \\'hereui)on,  Henry  Wells, 
David  Hornor,  Solon  Robinson,  Thomas  Brown,  Thomas 
Wiles  were  elected.  After  due  deliberation  they  report- 
ed to  the  meeting  the  Constitution  hereto  annexed,  re- 
corded on  pages  4,5,  and  6  of  this  book,  which,  after  be- 
ing read  by  the  secretary,  was  afterwards  discussed,  ex- 
amined and  finally  adoj^tcd  article  by  article,  being  fully 
approved  by  a  majority  of  the  meeting. 

"  On  motion,  the  meeting  then  jiroceeded  to  elect  a 
Register  and  a  board  of  three  County  Arbitrators,  Solon 
Robinson  being  nominated  Register,  and  Wm.  Clark, 
Henry  Wells,  and  S.  P.  Stringham  being  nominated  Ar- 
bitrators, Avere  all  unanimously  elected. 

"After  some  further  discussion  tne  meeting  informally 
adjourned." 

The  record  says  this  meeting  was  held  ''at  the  house;" 
it  does  not  say  "  in;"  and  evidently  not  very  many  could 
have  found  comfortable  standing  room  inside  of  that  small 
cabin.  I  am  told  by  an  eye  witness,  that  the  meeting 
really  was  held  in  the  grove,  and  that  over  the  officers' 
stand  a  knife  and  a  tomahawk  were  sus]jended,  as  the 
emblems  of  stpiatter  sovereignty,  the  significant  warning 
of  what  speculators  might  expect. 

The  following  is  the  Constitution  then   adopted  : 

^'constitution  of  the  squatters'  union,  in  lake 
countv,  inimana. 

*'  Preamble.  JVkcrcas,  The  settlers  upon  the  public 
lands  in  this  county,  not  having  any  certain  pros]ject  of 
having  their  rights  and  claims  secured  to  them  by  a  preem])- 
tion  law  of  Congress,  and  feeling  the  strong  present  neces- 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  4I 

sitv  of  their  becoming  uni fed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  guard 
against  speculation  upon  our  rights,  have  met  and  united 
together  to  maintain  and  support  each  other,  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1836;  and  now  firmly  convinced  of  the  justness 
of  our  cause,  do  most  solemnly  pledge  ourselves  to  each 
other,  by  the  strong  ties  of  interest  and  brotherly  feeling, 
that  we  will  abide  by  the  several  resolutions  hereto  at- 
tached (and  to  which  we  will  sign  our  names),  in  the 
most  faithful  manner. 

"Article  ist.  Resolved^  That  every  person  who  bears 
all  the  dangers  and  difficulties  of  settling  a  new  and 
unimproved  country  is  justly  entitled  to  the  privilege 
heretofore  extended  to  settlers  by  Congress,  to  purchase 
their  lands  at  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  an  acre. 

"Article  2d.  Resolved,  That  if  Congress  should  neg- 
lect or  refuse  to  pass  a  law  before  the  land  on  which  we 
live  is  offered  for  sale,  which  shall  secure  to  us  our  rights, 
we  will  hereafter  adopt  sueh  measures  as  may  be  necessary 
effectually  to  secure  each  other  in  our  just  claims. 

"Article  3d.  Resolved,  That  we  will  not  aid  any  per- 
son to  purchase  his  claim  at  the  land  sale,  according  to 
this  constitution  unless  he  is  at  the  time  an  actual  settler 
upon  government  lands,  and  has  complied  with  all  of  the 
requisitions  of  this  Constitution. 

"Article  4th.  Resolved,  That  all  the  settlers  in  this 
county,  and  also  in  the  adjoining  unsold  lands  in  Porter 
county  (if  they  are  disposed  to  join  us),  shall  be  consid- 
ered members  of  this  Union  as  soon  as  they  sign  this  Con- 
stitution, and  entitled  to  all  its  advantages,  whether 
present  at  this  meeting  or  not. 


42  LAKE    COUXTV. 

"Article  5th.  Resolved,  That  for  the  permanent  and 
quiet  adjustment  of  all  differences  that  may  arise  among 
the  settlers  in  regard  to  their  claims,  that  there  shall  be 
elected  by  this  meeting,  a  County  Board  of  three  Arbi- 
trators, and  also  a  Register  of  claims,  who  also  shall  per- 
form the  duties  of  clerk  to  the  County  Board,  Arbitrators, 
and  also  the  duties  of  a  general  corresponding  secretary. 
In  all  elections,  the  person  having  the  highest  number  of 
votes  shall  be  elected. 

"Article  6th.  Resolved,  That  the  person  who  may 
be  elected  Register  (if  he  accept  the  office)  shall  take 
an  oath  or  affirmation,  that  he  will  faithfully  perform  all 
the  duties  enjoined  upon  him.  He  shall  forthwith  pro- 
vide himself  with  a  map  of  the  county  (which  shall  be 
subject  to  the  inspection  of  every  person  desiring  it),  on 
which  he  shall  mark  all  claims  registered,  so  that  it  can 
be  seen  what  land  is  claimed  and  what  is  not;  and  also 
a  book  in  which  he  shall  register  every  claimant's  name, 
and  the  number  of  the  land  which  he  claims,  when  it 
was  first  claimed,  and  when  the  claimant  settled  upon  it, 
and  the  date  when  registered,  where  the  occupant  was 
from,  and  any  other  matter  deemed  necessary  for  public 
information,  or  that  the  County  Board  may  order. 

"He  shall  give  persons  applying  all  information  in  his 
power  in  regard  to  claims  or  vacant  land,  that  shall  be 
calculated  to  promote  the  settlement  of  the  county.  He 
shall  also  reply  in  the  same  manner  to  letters  addressed 
him  on  the  subject  (provided  the  applicant  pays  his  own 
postage.)  He  shall  attend  all  the  meetings  of  the  Coun- 
ty Board,  record  their  proceedings,  and  perform  their 
orders.     When  required  by  a  member,  stating  the  object, 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  43 

he    shall   issue    notice  to  the  County  or  District  Board, 
when,  where,  and  for  what  purpose  they  are  to  meet. 

"  Fees  :  For  every  claim  he  registers,  twenty-five  cents  ; 
and  he  shall,  if  required,  give  the  claimant  a  certificate 
stating  the  number  of  the  land,  and  when  registered. 
For  issuing  notice  to  Arbitrators  to  meet,  12  cents.  For 
attending  their  meeting  the  same  fees  that  are  allowed 
them.  For  duties  of  corresponding  secretary  no  fees 
shall  be  required. 

"Article  7.  Resolved,  That  its  hall  be  the  duty  of 
•every  person,  when  they  sign  this  Constitution,  or  as  soon 
thereafter  as  may  be,  to  apply  to  the  Register  to  have  the 
land  he  claims,  registered  (paying  the  Register  his  fees  at 
the  same  time).  Where  the  claimant  now  resides  upon 
the  land  which  he  claims,  his  claim  shall  be  considered 
and  held  good  as  soon  as  registered.  Every  sale  or 
transfer  of  titles  shall  be  registered  the  same  as  new 
claims.  Any  person  desirous  of  claiming  any  land  now 
unoccupied,  shall  apply  to  have  the  same  registered,  and 
if  he  is  a  resident  of  the  county  at  the  time  he  applies, 
residing  with,  or  upon  any  claim  belonging  to  any  other 
person,  or  upon  any  land  that  has  been  floated  upon  by 
Indian  or  preemption  claims,  he  shall  be  entitled  to  hold 
the  claim  he  registers,  while  he  remains  a  citizen  of  the 
county,  provided,  he  shall  within  thirty  days  after  regis- 
tering it,  make  or  cause  to  be  made  some  prominent  im- 
provement upon  it,  and  continue  to  im[)rove  the  same  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  County  or  District  15oard  of  Arbi- 
trators. Any  non-resident  who  may  hereafter  be  desirous 
to  join  this  Union  shall  first  sign  the  Constitution,  and 
after    registering  his  claim,  shall  proceed,  within  thirty 


44  LAKE    COUNTY. 

days,  to  occupy  it  with  his  family,  or  else  make  a  durable 
and  permanent  improvement,  either  by  building  a  good 
cabin  for  his  residence,  or  by  plowing  at  least  four  acres, 
and  then  if  he  is  not  able  to  continue  the  occupancy  of 
his  claim  either  personally  or  by  a  substitute,  he  shall  ap- 
ply to  the  Arbitrators,  stating  his  reasons  for  necessary 
absence,  whether  to  move  on  his  family,  or  whether  for 
other  purposes  ;  and  they  shall  certify  to  him  what  amount 
of  labor  he  shall  perform  or  cause  to  be  performed  with- 
in a  given  length  of  time  to  entitle  him  to  hold  his  claim 
while  he  is  absent,  ar  for  a  certain  time,  which  when  done 
and  proved  to  the  Register  and  entered  on  record,  shall 
as  fully  entitle  the  claimant  to  his  claim  as  though  he  re- 
sided on  it.  Provided^  the  Board  shall  never  grant  a  cer- 
tificate to  extend  his  absence  one  year  from  the  date, 
unless  the  claimant  has  performed  at  least  one  hundred 
dollars  worth  of  labor  on  his  claim,  and  satisfied  the 
Board  fully  that  he  will  within  that  time  become  an 
actual  settler  upon  it. 

"  Any  member  of  this  Union  may  also  register  and  im- 
prove claims  for  his  absent  friends,  as  above  provided,  if 
he  can  and  will  satisfy  the  Board  (of  the  county  or  dis- 
trict), that  the  identical  person  for  whom  he  makes  the 
claim  will  actually  become  a  settler  and  reside  upon  it 
within  the  specified  time. 

"Any  person  found  guilty  by  the  Board  of  making 
fraudulent  claims  for  speculating  purposes,  shall,  if  a 
member,  forfeit  his  membership  in  this  Union,  and  forfeit 
all  right  and  title  to  hold  the  same,  and  it  shall  be  de- 
clared confiscated  and  shall  be  sold  as  provided  for  all 
forfeited  claims,  in  Article  9th. 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  45 

"  Every  person  requiring  the  services  of  the  Arbitrators 
shall,  if  required,  secure  to  them  before  they  are  bound 
to  act,  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  for  each  day's  services,  of 
each  and  all  other  necessary  expense  of  magistrate, 
witnesses,  Register,  or  other  unavoidable  expense. 

"  Article  8th.  Resolved,  that  each  congressional  town- 
ship, or  any  settlement  confined  in  two  or  more  townships 
containing  twenty  members,  may  unite  and  elect  a  Board 
of  three  Arbitrators,  who  shall  possess  the  same  power  to 
settle  disputes  (when  applied  to)  within  their  district  that 
the  County  Board  have.  And  any  member  of  that  district 
may  either  submit  his  case  to  the  District  or  County  Board. 
The  opposite  party  may  object  to  one  or  two  of  the  Dis- 
trict Board,  and  call  one  or  two  of  the  County  Board,  or 
some  disinterested  member,  to  sit  in  their  places,  pro- 
vided he  pays  the  extra  expense  so  occasioned.  All 
decisions  of  County  or  District  Board  shall  be  final. 

"Either  of  the  parties,  or  the  District  Board,  may  require 
the  Register  to  attend  their  meetings  and  record  their 
proceedings.  But  if  he  is  not  present  they  shall  certify 
their  judgment  to  him  immediately,  and  he  shall  register 
it  as  any  other  claim. 

"  Any  member  may  also  object  to  one  of  the  County 
Board,  upon  the  same  terms,  and  require  one  of  a  District 
Board,  or  some  disinterested  member,  to  sit  in  his  place. 
The  same  proceedings  shall  also  take  place  where  one  of 
the  Board  are  interested  in  the  dispute.  The  District 
Board  may  order  district  meetings,  and  the  County  l^oard 
county  meetings. 

"  Article  9th.  Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  x\rbitrators 
shall,  as  soon  as  may  be,  take  an  oath  or  affirmation  before 


46  LAKE    COUNTY. 

some  magistrate,  faithfully  and  impartially  to  perform  all 
the  duties  enjoined  upon  them,  not  inconsistent  with  law, 
and  that  they  will  do  all  acts  in  their  i)ower  for  the  bene- 
fit of  members  of  this  Union. 

"  On  being  duly  notified,  they  shall  convene,  and  if  they 
see  proper,  they  shall  make  their  acts  a  rule  of  court  be- 
fore some  magistrate,  according  to  the  statute  provided 
for  arbitrated  cases. 

"  They  may  require  the  parties  in  the  case  to  be  tried,  to 
be  sworn,  or  affirmed,  and  hear  arguments  of  parties  or 
counsel,  and  finally  decide  which  party  is  justly  entitled  to 
hold  the  claim,  and  which  party  shall  pay  costs  or  damages. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  County  or  District  Board 
where  the  claim  is  situated,  to  take  possession  of  any 
claim  confiscated  under  the  j^rovisions  of  article  seven, 
or  any  unoccupied  non-resident  claim,  the  claimant  of 
which  has  neglected  to  occupy  or  improve  the  same,  ac- 
cording to  the  terms  and  within  the  time  specified  in  the 
certificate,  and  sell  the  same  to  some  other  person  who 
will  become  a  settler  on  it,  keeping  the  money  obtained 
for  it  in  their  hands  (unless  hereafter  a  treasurer  shall  be 
appointed)  for  a  fund  to  defray  any  expense  that  may  be 
deemed  necessary  to  maintain  our  just  rights  or  advance 
the  interest  of  the  Union.  And  if  a  fund  so  accumuLited 
shall  not  be  required  for  such  purpose,  the  Board  shall 
use  it  toward  purchasing  land  for  any  needy  widows,  or 
orphan  children,  or  needy  members  of  this  Union. 

"  Provided  that  the  Board  having  jurisdiction  may  ex- 
tend the  time  to  any  claimant  holding  a  certificate  from 
them,  or  application  through  the  corresponding  secretary,  if 
the  claimant  can  give  them  satisfactory  reasons  therefor, 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  47 

and  they  may  also,  when  they  have  sold  a  forfeited  claim,  if 
they  deem  it  just  and  reasonable,  for  good  cause  thereon, 
refund  to  the  certificate  claimant  the  amount  he  had 
.actually  expended  upon  it,  and  retain  in  the  fund  only 
the  overplus  that  the  same  sold  for. 

"Any  officer  of  this  Union,  or  any  member,  shall  be 
■discarded  if  convicted  of  gross  neglect  of  duty,  or  im- 
moral conduct  tending  to  injure  the  character  of  the 
Union. 

"Article  loth.  Resolved,  That  every  white  person 
■capable  of  transacting  business,  and  making  or  causing 
to  be  made,  an  improvement  on  a  claim,  witJi  the  evident 
design  of  becoming  a  settler  thereon,  shall  be  entitled  to  be 
protected  in  holding  a  claim  on  one  quarter  section,  and 
no  more — except,  where  persons  holding  claims  on  the 
prairie  or  open  barrens,  where  the  Board  may  decide  they 
have  not  sufficient  timber  to  support  their  farm,  shall  be 
allowed  to  divide  one  quarter  section  of  timber  between 
four  such  prairie   claims. 

The  Board  of  Arbitrators  may  require  any  person  mak- 
ing a  claim  to  take  an  oath  or  affirmation  that  he  intends 
the  same  for  actual  settlement,  or  (if  timber)  use  of  his 
farm.  No  person  settling  in  thick  timber  shall  be  allow- 
ed to  hold  more  than  eighty  acres  of  timber,  but  shall 
be  protected  in  a  claim  of  eighty  acres  on  the  prairie. 

"Article  nth.  Resolved,  T\\dX  before  land  is  offered 
for  sale,  that  each  district  shall  select  a  bidder  to  attend 
and  bid  off  all  claims,  in  the  claimant's  name,  and  that,  if 
necessary,  every  settler  will  constantly  attend  the  sale, 
prepared  to  aid  each  other  to  tlie  full  extent  of  our  ability 
in  obtaining  every  claimant's  land  at  government  price. 


48  I.AKF.    COUNTY. 

"  Artici.k  1 2th.  J^csoh't'd, 'V\\a.i  after  the  l)oard  of  Ar- 
l)itrators  have  decided  that  any  individual  lias  obtruded 
ui)on  another  claim,  and  he  refuses  to  give  the  legal 
owner  jjeaceahle  j)ossession,  that  we  will  not  deal  with,  or 
countenance  him  as  a  settler  until  he  makes  the  proper 
restitution. 

"Articlk  13th.  Resolved,  That  we  will  each  use  our 
'endeavors  to  advance  the  rapid  settlement  of  the  coun- 
ty, by  inviting  our  friends  and  acipiaintance  to  join  us, 
under  the  full  assurance  that  we  shall  now  obtain  our 
rights,  and  that  it  is  now  perfectly  as  safe  to  go  on  im- 
proving the  public  land  as  though  we  already  had  our 
titles  from  government. 

"Article  14th.  Resolved,  That  a  meeting  duly  called 
by  the  County  Board  may  alter  and  amend  this  Consti- 
tution. 

"Lake  County,  Indiana,  July  6,  1836. 

"  I  do  certify  that  the  foregoing  Constitution,  as  here  re- 
corded, is  a  true  copy  from  the  original  draft  reported  by 
the  committee,  and  ado[)ted  by  the  meeting,  except 
slight  grammatical  alterations  not  varying  the  true  sense  of 
any  article. 

"Attest.    SoLox   RoBiNSox,  Register." 

Attached  to  it  are  476  signatures. 

A  few  cases  of  arbitration  occurred  in  regard  to  dis- 
puted claims.  To  enter  upon  land  which  another  had 
claimed  was  called  "jumping"  it;  and  there  were,  it 
seems,  a  few  accidental  or  intentional  "jumpers." 

The  following  extracts  from  the  records  will  surely  be 
of  interest  as  showing  the  customs  of  squatter  rule  : 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  49 

"Aug.  12.  Notified  County  Board  of  Arbitrators  to 
meet  August  13,  at  G.  W.  Turner's,  to  decide  disputed 
claim  between  Sam'l  Haviland  and  John  Harrison,  on 
Sec.  13,  s\v.  y^  T.  2>e,  R.  8.  Aug.  13.  *  *  They  de- 
cided that  Haviland  hold  the  claim  on  paying  Harrison 
five  dollars  for  his  labor,  and  that  Harrison  pay  the  costs, 
amounting  to  four  dollars  and  fifty  cents." 

Harrison,  it  is  to  be  supposed,  had  "jumped"  this  claim 
and  so  was  the  aggressor. 

"  1837,  March  16.  This  day  an  arbitration  was  held 
between  Denton  and  Henry  Miller  and  John  Reed,  who 
had  gone  on  to  Millers'  claim  and  built  a  cabin,  and  the 
Arbitrators  decide  that  Reed  shall  give  up  the  cabin  to 
Millers,  and  pay  the  costs  of  this  arbitration,  but  that  Mil- 
lers shall  pay  Reed  seventeen  dollars  for  the  cabin  which 
lie  has  built." 

In  some  cases  the  costs  were  divided  equally  between 
the  parties. 

From  the  decisions  of  the  arbitrators  there  seems  to 
have  been  no  appeal,  in  the  nature  of  the  case  there  could 
be  none ;  and  with  the  decisions  the  j)arties  appear  to 
have  been  satisfied.  Ten  cases  of  arbitration  are  on  the 
records. 

While  improvements  were  going  on  during  this  busy 
summer  every  family  needed  food.  The  settlers  of  1S35 
had  raised  provisions  sufficient  for  themselves ;  but  not 
even  in  La  Porte  county  had  a  supply  been  raised  suffi- 
cient to  meet  the  wants  of  new  settlers.  And  on  this 
account  "most  of  the  Lake  county  settlers  had  to  draw 
their  provisions  from  the  Wabash  during  the  summer  of 
1836." 


50  LAKE    COUNTY. 

In  the  fall  the  first  regular  physician,  Dr.  Palmer,  was 
numbered  among  the  settlers.  The  nearest  physician  up 
to  this  time  resided  at  Michigan  City,  where  was  also  the 
nearest  postoffice  until  the  spring  of  this  year. 

In  March,  Solon  Robinson,  having  made  application 
for  a  post  office,  was  appointed  postmaster,  authorized  to 
bring  the  mail  from  Michigan  City  for  the  proceeds  of 
the  office.  These  i)roceeds  were,  up  to  October  i,  $15. 
This  would  hardly  pay  for  bringing  it  often.  The  office 
was  named  Lake  Court  House,  usually  written  Lake  C. 
H.     The  next  offices  west  then  were  Joliet  and  Chicago. 

The  first  settlers'  store  also  dates  its  opening  in  1836, 
established  by  Solon  and  Milo  Robinson,  who  sold,  during 
the  winter  of  1836-37,  about  $3,000  worth  of  goods  out 
of  a  little  log  hut  that  used  to  stand  beside  the  "  old  log 
court  house."  Their  best  customers  were  the  Pottawat- 
omies,  from  whom  they  "  obtained  great  quantities  of  furs 
and  cranberries"  in  exchange  for  goods. 

A  saw  mill  was  commenced  in  the  fall  of  this  year,  on 
the  outlet  of  Cedar  Lake,  by  Calvin  Lilley  and  David 
Reed;  but  the  one  first  in  operation  was  built  by  Wilson 
S.  Harrison,  which,  in  the  spring  of  '37,  fnrnished  oak 
lumber  for  $15  per  thousand. 


III. 
In  1837  I>ake  county  was  organized.  The  mail  was 
slow,  and  a  special  messenger,  John  Russell,  was  sent  to 
Indianapolis  to  obtain  the  appointment  of  a  sheriff,  and 
authority  to  hold  an  election.  He  made  the  trip  on  foot 
and  outstripped  the  mail.  Henry  Wells  was  appointed 
sheriff.      An    election   was   ordered  and   held.     Officers. 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  5I 

elected :  Wm.  Clark  and  Wm.  B.  Crooks,  associate 
judges;  Amsi  L.  Ball,  Stephen  P.  Stringham,  and  Thos. 
Wiles,  county  commissioners  ;  W.  A.  W.  Holton,  recorder ; 
Solon  Robinson,  clerk.  First  assessor,  John  Russell. 
Justices  of  the  peace  elected:  in  North  township,  Peyton 
Russell;  in  Center,  Horace  Taylor;  at  Cedar  Lake, 
Milo  Robinson,  and  in  South,  E.  W.  Bryant.  In  August 
Luman  A.  Fowler  was  elected  sheriff,  and  Robert  Wilkin- 
son, probate  judge. 

The  log  building  used  for  several  years  as  a  court  house 
and  place  of  worship,  connected  with  which  are  many  in- 
teresting associations,  was  erected  this  summer  by  Solon 
and  Milo  Robinson,  who  also  erected  a  frame  building, 
one  of  the  first  in  the  county,  which  was  used  as  a  hotel 
for  several  years.  It  became  a  part  of  the  home  of  H.  S. 
Pelton.  Other  frame  buildings  were,  during  this  sum- 
mer, erected. 

The  first  Methodist  class  was  probably  organized  this 
year  at  Pleasant  Grove ;  and  there  was  preaching  several 
times  at  Solon  Robinson's  and  in  the  court  house.  Lake 
county  being  this  year  a  part  of  the  Porter  County  Mis- 
sion, Rev.  —  Beers  minister  in  charge.  Claims  were  ta- 
ken up  during  this  year  very  rapidly,  and  the  year  1S37 
closes  up  the  entries  in  the  Claim  Register. 

Of  the  many  settlers  this  season  I  name  here  especially 
Bartlett  Woods  and  Charles  Woods,  natives  of  Winchel- 
sea,  England;  Hervey  Ball  and  Lewis  Warriner,  of  Aga- 
wam,  Massachusetts;  George  Flint,  Benjamin  Farley, 
Henry  Torrey,  and  Joseph  Jackson ;  Henry  Sanger, 
Ephraim  Cleveland,  William  Sherman,  A.  D.  Foster;  and, 
first  of  the  German  settlers  on  Prairie  West,  John  Hack, 


52  LAKE    COrXl'V. 

\vitli  his  large   family  and,  according  to  current  report,  a 
chest  well  filled  with  five-franc  ])ieces. 

Among  so  many  it  is  difficult  to  select  any  out,  as  most 
of  the  permanent  early  settlers  became  well  known  over 
the  county.  1  therefore  insert  here  the  names,  in  the  order 
of  the  years,  of  those  whose  earh'  citizenshi]j  can  be  estab- 
lished by  documentary  evidence. 

Sk'I'ji.krs  in   1834. 

According  to  Robinson's  Records  there  was  a  set- 
tler, ])robably,  by  the  name  of  Ross  this  summer  on  Sec. 
6,  Township  t,^.  Range  7,  and  on  the  same  section  one 
was  seen  by  S.  Robinson,  in  October,  "  in  a  little  shed 
cabin,"  whose  name  he  was  unable  to  record,  his  claim 
afterwards  becoming  "Miller's  Mill."  From  the  Claim 
Register  I  extract  the  following:  "\Vm.  Crooks  and 
Samuel  Miller  in  Co.  'I'imber  and  Mill  Seat."  Claim 
made  June,  1835.  Settled  Nov.,  1834.  Sec.  6,  Town- 
ship 35,  Range  7.  Crooks,  from  Montgomery  county. 
It  is  probable  that  this  \V.  Crooks  was  the  settler  there 
seen  in  October. 

Also,  those  Records  state,  that  an  old  man  named 
Winchell,  from  La  Porte  county,  settled,  in  the  summer 
of  this  year,  and  commenced  a  mill  near  the  mouth  of 
Turkey  Creek,  which  claim  and  mill  he  afterwards  aban- 
doned. 

Naming  those,  I  now   record  as  settlers  in  fact  : 
"  October. 

Thomas  Childers. 
Noz'ember. 

Solon  Robinson. 

Luman  A.  Fowler,  Robert  \\'ilkinson, 


SQUATTER    LIFE. 


53 


December. 
Jesse  Pierce,  David  Pierce. 

The  last  two  settlers,  according  to  the  Claim  Register, 
on  Deep  River  and  Turkey  Creek. 


Lyman  Wells, 


Settlers  in    1835. 

yanuary. 

John  Driscoll. 


February, 
J.  W.  Holton,  W.  A.  W.  Holton, 

Wm.  Clark,  from  Jennings  County. 


R.  Fancher, 

Elias  Bryant, 
J.  Wiggins, 

Elias  Myrick, 
Wm.  Myrick, 
S.  P.  Stringham,  Vermillion,  111. 

yune. 

Peter  Stainbrook. 

David  Hornor, 
Thomas  Wiles, 
Thomas  Hornor, 

Henry  Wells, 
Wm.  S.  Thornburg, 
R.  Dunham, 


March. 

Robert  Wilkinson,  Attica. 

Spring. 

Nancy  Agnew,  widow, 
E.  W.  Bryant. 

May. 
Thomas  Reed,, 
Aaron  Cox, 


November. 

Jesse  Bond, 
Jacob  L.  Brown, 
Milo  Robinson. 

December. 

John  G.  Forbes, 
R.  Hamilton, 
John  Wood. 


54  LAKE    COUNTY, 

Settlers  ix  1836. 

William  A.  Piirdy,  New  York. 

Elisha  Cha))man,  Micliigan  City, 

S.  Havilance,  Canada,  William  N.  Sykes, 

David  Campbell,  W.  Williams,  La  Porte, 

Benj.  Joslen,  John  15all. 

Richard  Church,  Michigan,  Darling  Church,  Michigan. 

Leonard  Cutler,  "  Charles  Cutler,         " 

B.  Rhodes,  La  Porte,  J.  Rhodes,  La  Porte, 

Jacob  Van  Valkenburg,  New  York. 

Jas.  S.  Castle,  Michigan  City, 

Hiram  Nordyke,  sen.,  Tippecanoe. 

Charles  H.  Paine,  Ohio. 

Hiram  Nordyke,  jr.,  Tippecanoe  County, 

Joseph  C.  Batton,  Boone  County, 

James  Knickerbocker,  New  York, 

John  T.  Knickerbocker,         G.  C.  Woodbridge, 

H.  Bones,  John  J.  Van  Valkenburg, 

Horace  Taylor,  S.  D.  Bryant, 

Daniel  E.  Bryant,  Peter  Barnard, 

Jonathan  Brown,  E.  J.  Robinson, 

David  Fowler,  Cyrus  Danforth, 

M.  Pierce,  State  of  New  York, 

Sprague  Lee,  Pennsylvania, 

John  A.  Bothwell,  Vermont, 

Peleg  S.  Mason, 

Adonijah  Taylor,  "  Timber  and  Outlet." 

The  last  according  to  Claim  Register,  "May  15th." 

John  Cole,  New  York,  F.  A.  Halbrook,  New  York, 

Stephen  Mix,  New  York,        Silas  Clough,  New  York. 


SQUATTER    LIFE. 


55 


Rufus  Norton,  Canada,  Elijah  Morton,  Vermont, 

Francis  Barney,  Hiram  Holmes, 

Samuel  Halsted  "Timber  and  Millseat." 

"  Nov.   29th    transferred  to  James    M.  Whitney    and 
Mark  Burroughs  for  $212." 

Calvin  Lilley,  South  Bend, 

Samuel  Hutchins,  La  Porte, 

Jacob  Nordyke,  Tippecanoe. 

Hiram  S.  Pelton,  New  York, 

Ithamar  Cobb, 

J.  P.  Smith,  New  York, — settled  July  5th. 

G.  Zuver,  Bartholomew  County, 

H.  McGee, 

Henry  Farmer,  Bartholomew  County. 

William    S.    Hunt,    "  blacksmith,"  Wayne  County. 

George  Parkinson, 


S.  Wilson, 
Abel  Farwell, 
M.  C.  Farwell, 
Ruth  Barney,  widow, 
James  Anderson, 
Simeon  Beedle, 
William  Wells, 
W.  W.  Centre, 
E.  Dustin,  jun., 
Charles  Marvin, 
Peter  Selpry, 
H.  M.  Beedle, 
D.  Y.  Bond, 
John  Kitchel, 


James  Farwell, 
Carlos  Farwell, 
Henry  Horner, 
J.  V.  Johns. 
E.  W.  Centre, 
Isaac  M.  Beedle, 
S.  D.  Wells, 
T.  M.  Dustin, 
C.  L.  Greenman, 
Mercy  Perry,  widow, 
Jacob  Mendenhall, 
B.  Rich, 
S.  L.  Hodgman, 
Henry  A.  Palmer, 


LAKE    COUNTY. 


Paul  Palmer, 

D.  Barney, 
George  Earle, 
A.  Hitchcock, 
O.  Hitchcock, 
Russell  Eddy, 
Wm.  Brown, 
Charles  Walton, 
Jonathan  Gray, 
Edward  Greene, 
Elisha  Greene, 
R.  Wilder, 
Solomon  Russell, 
A.  Albee. 

James  Westbrook, 
John  Bothwell, 
Henry  Torrey, 
Joseph  Batton, 
N.  Hayden, 
N.  Cochrane, 
Lewis  Warriner, 

E.  T.  Fish, 
John   Fish, 
George  Flint, 
Benjamin  Farley, 
D.  R.  Stewart, 
H.  Galespie, 

J.  H.  Martin. 
T.  Sprague, 
J.  Hutchinson, 


Settlers  l\ 


H.  Edgarton, 
Wm.  Hod  son, 
Jackson  Cady, 
E.  H.  Hitchcock, 
J.  V.  Johns, 
C.  Carpenter, 
R.  S.  Witherel, 
Wm.  Farmer, 
Nathan  D.  Hall, 
S.  T.  Greene, 
W.  Page, 
John  McLean, 
Daniel  May, 

1837. 

Samuel  Sigler, 
John  Brown, 
S.  Hodgman, 
John  Kitchel, 
H.  R.  Nichols, 
A.  Baldwin, 
Josiah  Chase, 
Charles  R.  Ball, 
Hervey  Ball, 
Lewis  Manning, 
Ephraim  Cleveland, 
Wm.  Sherman, 
T.  Sprague, 
John  Hack, 
G.  L.  Zabriska, 
John  Hutchinson, 


SQUATTER    LIFE. 


57 


E.  L.  Palmer, 
N.  Reynolds, 
B.  Demon, 
Joel  Benton, 
John  L.  Ennis, 
Dennis  Donovan, 
Patrick  Donovan, 
Thomas  Donovan, 
Daniel  Donovan, 
Oliver  Fuller, 
Thomas  Tindal, 
Orrin  Dorwin, 
H.  Severns, 
Hiram  Barnes, 
Bartlett  Woods, 
Charles  Woods, 
Dudley  Merrill, 
J.  F.  Follett, 
A.  D.  Foster, 
Adam  Sanford, 
Charles  Mathews, 
James  Carpenter, 
Jacob  Ross, 
Patrick  Doyle, 


Lewis  Swaney, 
Francis  Swaney, 
O.  V.  Servis, 
Thomas  O'Brien, 
Orrin  Smith, 

D.  B.  Collings, 
Z.  Collings, 
Timothy  Rockwell, 
Jesse  Cross, 

E.  Cross, 
R.  Cross, 
A.  L.  Ball, 
Daniel  Bryant, 

Wid.  Elizabeth  Owens, 

E.  D.  Owens, 

N.  Pierce, 

Wm.  Vangorder, 

G.  W.  Hammond, 

J.  Rhodes, 

Joseph  Jackson, 

O.  Higbee, 

Z.  Woodford, 

Wm.  Hobson, 

P.  Anson. 


W.  J.  Richards. 

The  register  is  not  entire,  and  the  names  of  all  the 
settlers  of  1837  cannot  now  be  ascertained  by  any  means 
at  my  command. 

In  the  winter  of  1 83  7-38  Congress  established  some  mail 
routes  through  this  county,  which  had  been  crossed  till 
now  by  only  the  Detroit  and  Fort  Dearborn  mail,  carried 


58  LAKE    COUNTY. 

in  coaches  along  the  Michigan  beach,  then  by  way 
of  Liverjjool,  and  again  removed  to  the  l]radley  route. 
The  new  ones  of  1838  were:  first, from  La  I'orte  to  Joliet, 
taken  by  H.  S.  Pelton,  and  the  principal  mail  line  of  the 
county  for  a  number  of  years,  probably  till  the  railroad 
era  commenced  ;  and  the  second,  from  Michigan  City  to 
Peoria,  let  to  be  carried  in  four-horse  coaches,  but  the 
coaches  did  not  run,  and  a  remnant  of  that  route,  from 
City  West  to  West  Creek,  gave  us  a  mail  carried  on  horse- 
back, which  continued  for  several  years,  its  western  ter- 
minus being  Bourbonnois  Grove,  near  Kankakee  City ; 
and  the  third,  from  Lake  Court  House  to  Monticello,  in 
White  county.  This  last  was  also  taken  by  H.  S.  Pelton, 
"but  was  afterwards  found  to  be  through  such  an  inter- 
minable wilderness  that  it  was  discontinued."  Congress 
had  not  at  that  time  studied  the  geography  and  history 
of  the  Kankakee  Marsh,  and  of  the  counties  of  Iroquois 
and  Newton  and  Jasper. 

This  year  marked  the  beginning  of  bridge-building  in 
our  borders.  The  two  northeast  of  Crown  Point  were 
built  by  Daniel  May  and  Hiram  Nordyke,  at  an  expense 
of  $500.  The  bridge  across  West  Creek,  near  Judge  Wil- 
kinson's, built  by  N.  Hayden,cost  $400.  The  one  across 
Cedar  Creek,  near  L.  Warriner's,  by  S.  P.  Stringham  and 
R.  Wilkinson,  cost  $200.  The  Deep  River  bridge,  at  B. 
Wilkinson's,  cost  $400,  built  by  A.  L.  Ball.  Several 
smaller  ones  were  also  built.  Our  streams  were  no  longer 
"  bridgeless,"  like  the  modern  Euphrates.  The  money 
for  building  came  from  "the  three  per  cent,  fund." 

It  was  also  a  year  of  saw-mill  building.  Accredited  to 
this  year  are  Walton's,  Wood's,  Dustin's,  and  Taylor's. 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  59 

Only  one  of  these,  Wood's,  furnished  much  lumber. 
Of  one  of  them  it  was  expressly  said,  it  was  "  about  half 
the  time  without  water,  and  the  other  half  without  a  dam." 
The  first  mill-builders  found  great  difficulty  in  making 
their  earth  dams  secure  against  the  freshets.  The  bea- 
vers of  this  region,  in  the  days  before  the  fur-traders 
came,  seem  to  have  been  more  successful.  The  remains 
of  their  earthen  works  may  still  be  traced  west  and  south 
of  Crown  Point. 

In  October  of  this  year  was  held  the  first  term  of  Cir- 
cuit Court,  Judge  Sample  presiding,  Judge  Clark  associ- 
ate. The  session  was  very  quiet  and  peaceable.  There 
were  then  no  drinking  places.  Men  were  not  cross,  nor 
quarrelsome,  nor  drunk.  Nine  lawyers  were  present.  Of 
the  members  of  the  first  grand  jury,  only  John  Wood 
and  Henry  Wells  remain  among  us.  Of  the  first  petit 
jury,  Richard  Fancher  alone  remains.  On  the  docket  of 
that  term  were  thirty  cases. 

The  first  marriage  license  here  issued  seems  to  belong 
to  this  year.  It  was  for  John  Russell  and  Harriet  Holton. 
The  first  citizen  married  in  the  county  was  David  Bryant 
(the  bride's  name  is  not  given),  the  license  having  been 
obtained  in  Porter  county.  The  ceremony  was  performed 
December  2,  by  S.  Robinson,  who  says,  "Another  of  my 
official  acts,  as  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Done  on  a  most 
excessive  cold  day." 

The  second  marriage  was  that  of  Solomon  Russell. 

The  fourth,  that  of  John  Russell,  has  just  been  men- 
tioned ;  and  the  second  and  fourth  parties  married  became 
the  first  and  second  to  obtain  divorce,  an  example  which 
has  been  followed  by  far  too  many  ever  since. 


6o  LAKE    COUNTY. 

The  year  1838  marks  the  commencement  of  Baptist 
meetings  in  Lake.  A  church  was  constituted  in  the  Ce- 
dar Lake  school-house,  June  17th,  nine  Baptist  members 
from  Massachusetts  and  New  York  entering  then  and 
there  into  self-constituted  church  relationship.  Elder 
French,  of  Porter  county,  was  present  and  acted  as  mod- 
erator of  the  meeting. 

"  Meetings  on  Sabbath  appointed  to  be  held  at  Prairie 
West,  Centre  Prairie,  and  H.  Balls,  alternately."  The 
Church  and  Cutler  families  lived  on  Prairie  West  and 
Norman  Warriner  on  Centre  Prairie.  According  to  the 
church  records  meetings  were  held  according  to  appoint- 
ments for  five  Sabbaths,  after  which  sickness  for  a  season 
prevented  attendance.  Says  the  next  record  :  "  From 
continued  distressing  sickness  no  meetings  were  held 
until  the  latter  part  of  winter."  The  church  was  not, 
therefore,  publicly  recognized  until  ISLiy  19th,  1839,  but 
its  constitution  dates  June  17,  1838.  On  the  record  book 
of  that  first  Baptist  church  are  the  names  of  ninety-five 
members,  forty-two  of  them  baptized  in  Cedar  Lake. 

The  sickness  of  the  summer  of  1838  was  long  remem- 
bered. It  is  probable  that  more  died  during  that  season, 
in  proportion  to  the  inhabitants,  than  during  any  other 
season  in  our  history.  Among  them  were,  the  wife  of 
Lewis  Warriner,  who  died  Aug.  24th,  and  also  his  young- 
est daughter,  Sabra. 

This  was  a  summer  also  of  excessive  drouth. 

Many  improvements  were  made  in  the  county  this 
year,  notwithstanding  the  sickness.  An  addition  was 
made  to  the  German   settlement  on  Prairie  West.     The 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  6l 

town  house  at  Liverpool  was  completed,  a  line  of  daily 
stages  running  then  through  that  city. 

Russell  Eddy  completed  his  frame  house  and  moved 
his  family  up  from  Michigan  City.  In  that  house,  which 
is  now  standing  just  north  of  the  new  residence  of  E.  C. 
Field,  was,  without  much  doubt,  the  first  piano  of  the 
county,  brought  with  the  household  goods  from  Michigan 
City,  and  over  its  keys  presided  the  graceful  Eliza,  fresh 
from  the  schools  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  the  most  polished  and 
accomplished,  at  that  time,  of  the  young  ladies  of  Lake. 
She  soon  married  and  left  us,  and  her  place  was  filled  by 
the  less  accomplished  but  lovely  and  beautiful  Ruth  Ann. 

She  grew  up,  married  D.  K.  Pettibone,  soon  after  died, 
and  by  most  is  probably  forgotten,  or  I  should  not  have 
named  her  here  in  mentioning  her  father's  first  home. 

An  addition  was  made  this  year  to  the  settlement  over 
West  Creek.  Solomon  Burns  and  family,  with  his  broth- 
er, Harry  Burns,  a  brother-in-law  named  Hazelton,  and 
George  Willey  and  family,  came  together,  with  four  wag- 
ons drawn  by  horses,  from  the  State  of  New  York. 
They  were  on  the  road  four  weeks.  They  crossed  on 
the  Torrey  bridge,  then  went  northward  and  bought 
claims  of  the  Farwell  family.  The  Hazelton  family  af- 
terward removed  westward.  The  Burns  family  settled 
where  Abel  Farwell,  who  married  a  daughter  of  S.  Burns, 
now  resides.  For  the  claim  a  pair  of  valuable  young 
horses  had  been  transferred  to  James  Farwell.  These 
the  lightning,  not  long  afterward,  struck  and.  killed. 
George  Willey  was  then  commencing  life,  when  he  settled 
on  a  claim  just  east  of  the  present  village  of  Klaasville. 
He  remained  there  many  years,  accummulated  property, 


62  LAKE    COUNTY. 

sold  his  farm,  purchased  land  near  Crown  Point,  and 
built  one  of  the  five  best  country  residences  in  the  coun- 
ty in  which  he  now  lives,  surrounding  himself  and  family 
with  those  conveniences  and  elegances  which  wealth 
procures.  His  is  more  properly  a  surburban  than  a 
country  residence. 

Another  daughter  of  S.  Burns  married  H.  P.  Robbins, 
who  some  years  ago,  having  lost  both  his  sons  in  the  war 
of  the  Rebellion,  removed  to  Lowell  and  became  one  of 
"its  business  men,  and  now  also  marshal  of  the  town. 
Solomon  Burns  died  in  1847,  at  the  age  of  47.  Asasome- 
what  singular  coincidence  it  may  be  noted  here,  that  a 
cousin  of  his,  Clark  Rice,  who  came  out  to  make  a  visit  in 
1846,  died  there,  at  the  home  of  George  Willey,'at  the  age 
of  46.  The  remains  of  the  two  cousins  lie  side  by  side  in 
that  neglected  West  Creek  burial-place,  both  born  in  1800. 
This  little  West  Creek  settlement,  consisting  of  the  fami- 
lies, Rankin,  Hitchcock,  Gordinier,  Marvin,  Burns,  Far- 
well,  Willey,  Fuller,  remained  quite  isolated  until  the 
building  of  the  Hanover  bridge. 

Among  the  German  settlers  of  this  summer  on  Prairie 
West  were  Joseph  Schmal  and  Peter  Orte,  Michael  Ad- 
ler  and  Matthias  Reder.  These  four  families  came  over 
together. 

Another  settlement  was  commenced  this  year  in  Han- 
over. The  pioneer  of  the  Lutheran  Germans  was  Henry 
Sasse,  sen.,  who  bought  the  claim  of  A.  Cox,  and  also 
one  made  by  Chase  and  Taylor,  paying  for  the  improve- 
ments on  the  latter  $150.  In  the  same  year  came  H. 
Van  Hollen,  and  other  families  soon  followed  these  until 
a  large  settlement  occupied  the  northern  part  of   Lake 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  63 

Prairie,  and  along  the  West  Creek  woods  made  farms  of 
the  choice  hunting  grounds. 

The  privilege  had  been  granted  to  the  State  of  select- 
ing a  certain  amount  of  government  lands  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Wabash  Canal.  This  selection  in  Lake  was  made 
in  the  month  of  June,  this  year,  and  Col.  John  Vawter, 
one  of  the  commissioners,  while  here,  preached  in  the  log 
court  house  "to  a  very  respectable  congregation." 

"  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,"  says  an  old  man- 
uscript, "  may  be  considered  as  regularly  organized  in 
the  county  from  this  time;"  that  is,  from  the  summer  of 
1838,  "  forming  with  Porter  county  a  circuit,  and  sup- 
plied with  preaching  at  stated  times."  I  find  no  early  docu- 
ments or  records  in  the  hands  of  any  of  this  denomina- 
tion, and  am  obliged  to  glean  my  information  from  other 
sources.  It  seems  strange  that  such  a  large  and  growing 
body  have  preserved  so  little  of  their  early  history. 

A  number  of  the  settlers,  late  in  the  fall  of  this  year, 
proved  up  their  preemption  rights  and  entered  their  land 
before  the  public  sale. 

The  first  of  these,  probably,  were  S.  Robinson  and 
Judge  Clark. 

As  the  first  of  January,  1839,  opened,  death  for  the  first 
time  visited  the  little  settlement  at  Lake  Court  House. 
It  came  in  the  form  of  consumption  and  laid  low  one  of 
the  active  business  men,  Milo  Robinson.  After  his 
death  Luman  A.  Fowler  kept  the  tavern  house  until  the 
next  fall,  when  he  removed  to  Lockport,  Illinois,  where 
canal  building  was  going  on.  After  his  removal  H.  S. 
Pelton  married,  took  the  house,  afterwards  purchased  it, 
and  occupied  it  until  his  own  death. 


64  LAKE    COUNTY. 

In  March  of  this  year  that  event  of  so  much  interest  to 
those  early  settlers,  the  sale  of  United  States  Lands,  took 
place  at  La  Porte.  The  sales  commenced  on  the  19th. 
The  squatters  of  Lake  were  in  large  force  gathered  there. 
The  hardy  pioneers,  accustomed  to  frontier  life  and  to 
•depend  on  their  strong  arms  and  trusty  rifles ;  the  New 
Englanders  and  the  Yorkers,  almost  direct  from  those 
centers  of  culture,  and  possessing  their  share  of  the  in- 
telligence and  energy  of  those  regions ;  and  the  firm, 
sturdy,  solid  Germans,  like  those  that  of  late  broke 
the  power  of  the  third  Napoleon, — Germans  who  had 
just  left  the  despotisms  of  the  Old  World  and  had  receiv- 
ed their  lessons  of  freedom  in  the  New,  amid  the  wild- 
ness  of  untrodden  Western  prairies  ;  all  were  there,  de- 
termined that  no  speculator  should  bid  upon  their  lands. 
Some  trouble  had  been  anticipated.  The  principle 
upon  which  the  squatters  insisted  was  of  importance  to 
them.  They  were  probably  prepared, — from  what  I 
heard  in  those  days  of  my  youth,  I  am  satisfied  they 
were  prepared — armed  men  were  among  them — to  use 
force,  if  it  should  be  ntcessary,  to  secure  the  right  which 
each  squatter  claimed  of  buying  his  own  quarter  section 
at  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  an  acre.  They  knew  that  in 
the  wilds  of  Lake,  in  the  retreats  of  the  Kankakee 
marsh,  no  officers  of  justice  would  search  for  them  if  their 
mode  of  enforcing  their  claim  should  be  called  lawless. 
But  there  arose  no  necessity.  The  impression  was 
strongly  made  that  it  would  not  be  safe  for  a  speculator 
to  overbid  a  squatter,  about  five  hundred  of  whom  had 
solemnly  pledged  themselves  to  each  other  to  abide,  in 
the   most    faithful    manner,    by  their   own    assertion    of 


SQUATTER    LIFE.  65 

squatters'  rights.  The  moral  force  employed  was  sufifi- 
cient.  Solon  Robinson  was  bidder  for  one  township, 
William  Kinnison  for  another,  and  A.  McDonald  for  the 
third.  The  sale  passed  off  quietly,  and  the  sons  of  Lake 
returned  peacefully  to  their  homes.  But  unfortunately 
for  some  of  them,  they  had  expended  their  silver  and 
gold  in  making  improvements  and  amid  the  sickness, 
and  suffering,  and  death  of  1838,  "  the  wild  cat  "  money 
was  not  current  at  the  land  ofhce,  and  now  what  the  spec- 
ulators could  not  effect  in  one  way  they  easily  accomplish- 
ed in  another.  They  offered  to  loan  these  men  money 
for  entering  their  claims,  on  the  security  of  their  lands, 
and  charged  them  twenty,  thirty,  or  more,  per  cent.  And 
thus,  after  all  their  care,  considerable  tracts  of  Lake 
county  land  came  into  the  hands  of  non-residents. 

Another  eventof  some  importance  took  place  this  year, 
the  location  of  the  county  seat  at  the  town  of  Liver- 
pool by  commissioners  appointed  by  the  Indiana  Legis- 
lature. Cedar  Lake  and  Lake  C.  H.  had  both  sought  the 
location ;  and  the  actions  of  these  commissioners  pro- 
duced much  dissatisfaction.  Before  a  petition  for  a  re- 
location could  be  granted,  before  this  summer  closed,  the 
proprietor  on  the  east  of  Cedar  Lake,  Dr.  Calvin  Lilley 
died,  and  his  place  passed  into  the  hands  of  another. 

During  these  years,  from  1834  to  1839,  while  there 
were  the  quiet  of  peace  among  us  and  friendliness  on  the 
part  of  the  Pottawatomies,  and  the  activity  of  new  settler 
life, — the  Black  Hawk  War  having  terminated  in  1832, 
after  which  nearly  all  of  Iowa  and  Wisconsin  was  ceded 
to  the  United  States — in  Florida  the  Seminole  War  was 
raging,  commenced  in  '35,  and  not  actually  ended  till  '42. 


66  LAKE    COUNTY. 

In  one  of  these  years,  1836,  Arkansas  was  admitted 
into  the  Union,  and  in  1837  Michigan  was  admitted,  and 
in  1837  took  place  the  Canadian  Rebellion.  The  short 
war  with  the  Creek  Indians  took  place  in   1836. 

Amid  such  events  of  national  interest  the  scjatters  of 
Lake  formed  a  community  by  themselves  ;  feeling  most 
of  all,  probably,  the  great  financial  crash  of  1837,  when 
the  banks  suspended  payment,  when  in  two  months  in 
the  city  of  New  York  were  failures  amounting  to  more 
than  a  hundred  millions  of  dollars,  the  effects  of  which 
"  were  felt  to  the  remotest  borders  of  the  Union." 

In  that  crash  our  two  youthful  cities,  Liverpool  and  In- 
diana City,  also  died. 


THE     POTTAWATOMIES.  67 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    POTTAWATOMIES. 

Venable,  in  his  History  of  the  United  States,  a  new 
and  an  excellent  work,  divides  the  Indians  into  eleven 
large  families.  These  families  were  divided  into  tribes  or 
nations.  The  Indians  known  as  the  Miami  Confederacy 
held  most  of  the  territory  of  Indiana.  The  northwestern 
part  was  occupied  by  a  tribe  called  Pottawatomies.  For 
many  "  thousands  of  moons,"  for  centuries,  so  far  as  any 
history  can  record,  the  Red  men  had  held  undisputed 
possession  of  the  whole  Northwest.  Two  hundred  years 
ago  the  French  penetrated  these  wilds  and  came  in  con- 
tact with  the  scattered  tribes,  both  as  fur  traders  and  as 
religious  teachers.  The  Indians,  therefore,  of  1834  were 
not  altogether  those,  as  Sprague  expresses  it,  "  of  falcon 
glance  and  lion  bearing,"  but  those  who  acknowledged 
the  white  man  as  a  conqueror. 

By  the  treaty  of  1832  the  Pottawatomies  had  disposed 
of  their  lands  to  the  Government ;  but  they  were  still  on 
their  hunting  and  trapping  grounds  in  considerable  num- 
bers,when  the  first  settlers  came  in.  They  were  friendly  and 
inoffensive,  yet  Indians  still.  Their  favorite  resorts  seem 
to  have  been  along  the  streams,  around  Cedar  Lake,  and 
at  Wiggins'  Point.  The  Calumet  river  was  especially  at- 
tractive. As  to  facilities  for  fishing,  and  as  to  abodes  for 
wild  fowls  and  fur  bearing  animals,  this  region  could  not 
well  be  surpassed.     The   Calumet  and  Deep  rivers   fur- 


68  LAKE    COUNTY. 

nished  some  hundred  miles  of  canoe  navigation,  abound- 
ing in  fish,  fowls,  and  fur;  the  Kankakee  Marsh  is  even 
yet  a  grand  resort  for  trappers  and  fowlers,  and  in  earlier 
years  its  islands  were  a  favorite  retreat  for  deer ;  and 
Cedar  Lake  and  the  West  Creek  woods  were  haunts  that 
it  would  scarcely  seem  Indians  could  peacefully  leave. 
Having  seen  Cedar  Lake  myself  in  1837,  when  its  waters 
and  the  large  marsh  south  of  it  literally  swarmed  with 
fish, — A.  Cox  opened  a  pike  that  is  said  to  have  weighed 
twenty  six  pounds,  and  I  have  seen  a  quite  large  boat 
loaded  down  with  fish  at  a  single  draw  of  the  net, — when 
its  shore  was  sentineled  all  round  with  muskrats  in  the 
water's  brink;  having  seen  its  surface  so  many  times  since 
black  with  ducks  and  geese,  or  white  with  gulls  and  other 
water  fowls ;  I  can  believe  almost  any  story  about  the 
abundance  of  such  game.  The  old  and  sacred  Lake  of 
Gennesaret,  noted  as  it  now  is  in  this  respect,  amid  its 
modern  solitudes,  can  scarcely  have  a  more  abundant 
supply  offish  and  fowls  in  and  on  the  same  square  miles 
of  depth  and  surface. 

At  Wiggins'  Point,  on  the  place  now  owned  by  E.  Sax- 
ton,  the  Indians  had,  in  1834,  a  village,  a  dancing-floor, 
and  a  burial-place.  From  this  dancing-floor  sixteen 
trails  diverged,  leading  off  in  every  direction.  These 
trails  were  well  trodden  foot-paths.  In  the  grove  are 
now  a  number  of  black-walnut  trees,  whether  native  there 
or  set  out  by  the  Indians  is  uncertain.  The  dancing- 
floor  was  very  smooth  and  well  worn,  and  the  well  trod- 
den pathways  leading  to  it  indicated  that  it  was  a  place 
of  general  resort.  Not  many  rods  distant,  the  situation 
well  chosen  and  beautiful,  was  the  village  burying  ground. 


THE    POTTAWATOMIES.  69 

In  the  center  of  this  was  a  pole,  perhaps  twenty  feet  in 
height,  surmounted  constantly  by  a  white  flag.  Here 
the  Indian  dead  of  this  neighborhood  were  decently 
buried,  according  to  the  custom  of  this  tribe.  Sometimes 
they  buried  in  a  sitting  attitude,  in  their  more  retired 
cemeteries,  leaving  the  head  uncovered ;  and  at  other 
times  in  a  supine  position.  From  the  French  they  had 
received  some  religious  ideas,  and  seem  to  have  had 
some  belief  in  a  future  resurrection  of  the  body.  It  is 
related  of  one  of  these  French-taught  men,  who  was 
about  to  die  near  Miller's  Mill,  that  he  gave  instructions 
not  to  have  his  body  buried,  as  he  expected  it  to  be  re- 
stored to  life  at  some  day,  when  the  Indians  would  be 
the  head  race  of  the  world.  The  bodies  of  those  who 
expressed  such  a  wish  were  placed  in  solitude  upon  the 
boughs  of  living  trees.  An  Indian  child's  body  in  a 
basket,  with  bells  attached,  was  found,  suspended  in  a 
tree,  by  some  of  the  early  settlers.  At  the  burial  ground 
above  mentioned  a  body  was  exhumed,  probably  in  1835, 
supposed  to  be  the  body  of  one  of  the  head  men  of  the 
tribe,  about  which  were  a  blanket,  a  deer  skin,  a  belt  of 
wampum,  and  outside  of  the  feet  a  fur  hat ;  and  with  the 
body  were  found  a  rifle  and  a  kettle  full  of  hickory  nuts. 
Dr.  Burleigh,  supposed  to  be  from  Michigan  City,  has  the 
credit  of  removing  this  body,  acting  on  the  princi})le 
attributed  to  the  students  of  a  certain  medical  institution, 
who  are  said  to  have  adopted  as  their  motto,  Dc  nwrtiiis 
nil  nisi  boniim,  \)LiW's  translated:  There  is  nothing  good 
about  the  dead  except  their  bones.  So,  the  conclusion  is, 
take  these  when  you  can  get  them.  It  is  said  that  one 
■day,  after  the  robbing  of  the  grave,  two  Indians,  armed 


70  LAKE    COUXTY. 

with  rifles,  came  into  the  field  where  Wiggins  was  at  work 
alone.  They  went  to  the  grave,  and  sat  down  their  rifles, 
and  talked.  Wiggins  was  alarmed.  He  conjectured 
that  avengers  were  near,  and  he  was  in  their  power.  The 
Indians  were  evidently  much  displeased,  but  finally  with- 
drew without  offering  any  violence.  Wiggins,  who  had 
claimed  this  part  of  the  Indian  village,  allowed  his  break- 
ing-plow to  pass  over  the  burial  ground. 

This  desecration  did  not  pass  unnoticed  by  the  Red 
men.  When,  in  1840,  deneral  IJrady,  with  eleven  hun- 
dred Indians  from  Michigan,  five  hundred  in  one  division 
and  six  hundred  in  the  other,  passed  through  this  coun- 
ty, some  of  both  divisions  visited  these  graves,  and  some 
of  the  scjuaws  groaned,  it  is  said,  and  even  wept,  as  they 
saw  the  fate  of  their  ancient  cemetery.  Thoroughly  have 
the  American  Indians  learned  the  power  and  the  pro- 
gress of  the  Anglo-Saxon  civilization,  but  not  much  have 
they  experienced  of  its  justice  towards  them   and  theirs. 

Leaving,  for  the  present,  the  village  at  A\'iggins'  Point, 
some  camping  grounds  near  the  Kankakee  are  worthy  of 
record.  On  an  island  in  the  marsh,  known  as  Red  Oak 
Island,  which  is  nearly  south  of  the  residence  of  Mrs. 
Pearce,  was  one  of  these  camps  or  Indian  gardens. 
About  two  hundred  camped  at  that  garden  during  the 
winter  of  1837-38.  South  of  Orchard  Crrove  was 
another  garden,  on  Big  White  Oak  Island.  Here  during 
this  same  winter  camped,  perhaps,  one  hundred  and  fifty. 
These  camping  grounds  were  called  gardens  because  the 
Indians  there  cultivated  grapes  and  some  corn.  Just 
across  the  river  they  had  (juite  a  vineyard.  It  does  not 
appear  that  they  made  wine,  but  used  the   grapes  as  de- 


THE    POTTAWATOMIES.  JI 

licious  food.  There  are  now  in  this  county  some  small 
productive  vineyards,  and  many  orchards  of  excellent 
fruit ;  but  we  should  not  forget  that  those  who  here  first 
gave  attention  to  the  culture  of  the  grape  were  our  pre- 
decessors, the  Pottawatomies. 

On  Red  Oak  Island  they  had  two  stores,  kept  by 
French  traders,  who  had  Indian  wives.  The  names  of 
these  traders  were  Bertrand  and  Lavoire.  At  Big  White 
Oak  was  one  store,  kept  by  Laslie,  who  was  also  French, 
with  an  Indian  wife.  Here  a  beautiful  incident  occurred 
on  new  year's  morning,  1839.  Charles  Kenny  and  son 
had  been  in  the  marsh  looking  up  some  horses.  They 
staid  all  night,  December  31st,  with  Laslie.  His  Indian 
wife,  neat  and  thoughtful,  like  any  true  woman,  gave 
them  clean  blankets  out  of  the  store,  treated  them  well,, 
and  would  receive  no  pay.  The  morning  dawned.  The 
children  of  the  encampment  gathered,  some  thirty  in 
number,  and  the  oldest  Indian,  an  aged,  venerable  man,, 
gave  to  each  of  the  children  a  silver  half-dollar  as  a  new 
year's  present.  As  the  children  received  the  shining  sil- 
ver each  one  returned  to  the  old  Indian  a  kiss.  It  was 
their  common  custom,  on  such  mornings,  for  the  oldest 
Indian  present  to  bestow  upon  the  children  the  gifts. 

A  beautiful  picture,  surely,  could  be  made^by  a  painter 
of  this  island  scene ;  the  marsh  lying  round,  the  line  of 
timber  skirting  the  unseen  river,  the  encampment,  the 
two  white  strangers,  the  joyous  children,  and  the  vene- 
rable Pottawatomie  who,  long  years  before,  had  been 
active  in  the  chase  and  resolute  as  a  warrior  in  his  tribe, 
bestowing  the  half-dollars  and  bending  gracefully  down 
to  receive  the  gentle  kisses  of  the  children.     Such  a  pic- 


72  LAKK    COUXTV. 

ture  on  canvas,  by  an  artist,  would  be  of  great  value 
among  our  historic  scenes. 

Leaving  these  gardens,  the  loaded  grape  vines, — some 
excellent  wild  grapes  are  found  on  some  of  the  Kanka- 
kee islands  now — the  corn  patches,  and  domestic  scenes 
of  the  Red  children,  we  may  look  upon  the  Pottawato- 
mies  in  other  haunts  and  amid  other  scenes. 

They  had  quite  a  camp  south  of  the  present  Lowell,  on 
Cedar  Creek,  at  the  same  time  that  parties  were  camping 
on  the  gardens  ;  also  one  near  what  is  now  the  Jones 
school-house.  During  this  same  winter,  or  the  preceding 
one,  some  thirty  Indian  lodges  were  in  one  camp  north 
of  Cedar  Lake,  on  a  ridge  near  a  cranberry  marsh. 
Along  the  Calumet  there  were  many  wigwams,  and  at  In- 
dian Town,  just  east  of  the  county  line,  there  was  a  large 
village.  As  already  mentioned,  an  encampment  of  six 
hundred  was  in  the  West  Creek  woods,  in  the  winter  of 
1835-36 ;  and  a  less  number  camped  there  in  the 
winter  of  1836-37.  This  camp  was  on  section  20, 
town  34,  range  9,  about  two  miles  west  of  the  head  of 
Cedar  Lake.  Around  this  lake  they  hunted  ;  the  burial 
ground  at  its  head  proved  that  they  formerly  resided 
near  it.  One  of  their  canoes  was  left  there,  and  was  used 
by  Job  Worthington,  staying  on  the  claim  bought  by 
Hervey  Ball ;  but  the  first  settlers  mention  no  large  en- 
campment on  its  banks.  That  canoe  was  a  well  made 
dug-out.  It  became  the  property  of  the  Ball  family.  It 
would  upset  very  easily,  as  Mrs.  Mann  and  Loretta  Cox 
ascertained  one  day,  when  it  left  them  both  in  the  water, 
the  former  losing  her  gold  ring,  but  both  reaching  the 
shore  in  safety.     I  find  no  evidence  that  the  Indians  left 


THE    POTTAWATOMIES.  73 

more  than  two  canoes  in  the  hands  of  the  whites  at  Ce- 
dar Lake. 

There  were  probably  Indians  on  the  islands  west  of 
Cedar  Creek,  but  I  have  not  succeeded  in  tracing  them 
there.  One  other  camping  place  remains  to  be  noticed. 
This  was  near  the  present  village  of  Deep  River.  After 
the  Wood  family  settled  there  the  Indians  had  a  small 
camp  about  a  mile  from  the  mill.  They  were  sometimes 
seen  by  the  white  children  going  up  and  down  the  river 
in  their  canoes,  but  were  not  around  there  much  after 
1836.  This  part  of  the  river  has  a  swift  current  and 
some  quite  high  banks,  and  must  have  been  attractive  to 
the  native  fisherman.  There  is  evidence  of  its  having 
been  a  place  of  much  resort.  Near  the  river  bank,  on 
one  of  the  intervals  or  bottoms,  is  a  singular  mound. 
It  is  shaped  like  a  common  flatiron,  except  that  the  sides 
are  not  curved.  The  height  of  this  mound  is  about 
twenty  feet,  and  it  slopes  regularly  down  on  each  side  to 
the  meadow  land.  The  two  long  sides  are  in  length 
about  ten  rods  each.  There  was  not  a  tree  or  shrub  upon 
this  in  1836.  Against  the  sharp  angle  where  the  long 
sides  met  was  a  round  opening  in  the  ground,  about 
twenty  or  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter,  and  of  unknown 
depth.  Into  it  have  been  thrown  the  grubs  from  eight 
or  ten  acres  of  land  ;  but,  like  the  gulf  at  Rome  into 
which,  it  is  said,  Quintus  Curtius  plunged, — noble  Roman 
on  noble  steed, — it  is  difficult  to  fill  it  up.  As  yet,  after 
thirty-six  years,  it  is  still  an  opening  in  the  ground.  The 
object  of  this  artificial  mound  and  opening  is  not  known. 

There  are  also,  in  this  locality,  as  many  as  eight  places 
where  the    Indians    are    supposed    to    have    "  steamed  " 


74  LAKE    COUNTY. 

themselves  when  sick.  In  fact,  it  appears  to  have  been 
a  kind  of  water-cure  establishment.  The  holes  in  the 
rocks  where  the  water  was  heated  are  still  to  be  seen. 
About  the  use  of  these  collected  rocks,  it  is  true,  there  is 
some  conjecture.  But  it  being  known  that  Indians  em- 
ployed such  treatment  for  some  diseases,  it  is  easy  to 
fancy  the  sick  and  enfeebled  gathering  there.  Again, 
on  some  of  the  flats  near  by  are  many  arrow-heads. 
Ever  busy  conjecture  has  therefore  located  here  a  savage 
battle,  of  which  no  tradition  has  reached  us,  and  how 
many  red  warriors  fell  no  history  records.  On  the  other 
hand,  as  indicating  the  arts  of  peace,  a  stone  pestle 
found  in  this  same  locality,  in  the  possession  of  Nathan 
Wood,  shows  careful  workmanship.  It  is  smooth,  regu- 
larly rounded,  and  stained  or  curiously  stam])ed.  It 
must  have  been  used  for  ])ounding  corn  in  a  mortar. 

On  this  quarter  section  of  land,  which  includes  the 
mill-seat,  a  "  float  "  was  laid  in  the  name  of  a  Pottawa- 
tomie, Quash-ma,  after  it  had  been  claimed  by  John  ^^'ood  ; 
and  to  obtain  the  title,  after  the  U.  S.  patent  was  issued 
to  Quash-ma,  cost  the  claimant  one  thousand  dollars. 
While,  therefore,  the  Indians  had  at  this  place  little  in- 
tercourse with  the  early  settlers,  there  are  evidences  that 
if  was  one  of  their  homes  of  ancient  occupancy. 

Some  incidents  of  life  at  Indian-town  belong  to  our 
history,  although  the  village  itself  was  in  Porter  county. 
Simeon  Bryant  selected  that  section  for  a  farm,  and  leav- 
ing Pleasant  Grove,  built  his  cabin  near  the  village.  'J'he 
Indians  at  first  were  not  well  pleased  with  the  idea  of  a 
white  neighbor ;  but  the  resolute  squatter  treated  them 
kindly,  would  gather  up  land  tortoises  and  take  to  their 


THE    POTTAWATOMIES.  75 

wigwams,  for  which,  when  he  threw  them  on  the  ground, 
the  women  and  children  would  f  agerly  scramble ;  and 
after  he  had  fenced  around  some  of  their  cornfields  he 
still  allowed  them  to  cultivate  the  land.  This  kindness 
and  consideration  secured  their  regard.  A  father  and 
son  from  La  Porte  county  were  stopping  with  this  Bryant 
family  while  improving  their  claims,  and  the  daughter 
and  sister,  a  girl  of  eighteen  or  twenty,  came  out  to  assist 
in  the  housekeeping.  vShe  was  necessarily  brought  in 
contact  with  the  villagers.  Among  these  were  two  young 
Indians  about  her  own  age,  sons  of  a  head  man,  who 
were  quite  inclined  to  annoy  the  white  girl  and  play 
pranks.  They  would  lurk  around  and  watch  her  motions, 
and  sometimes  when  she  would  enter  the  little  outdoor 
meat-house,  would  fasten  her  in.  One  day,  when  she 
was  coming  out  with  a  pail  of  buttermilk,  one  of  these 
young  Pottawatomies  stood  in  the  doorway,  with  his  arms 
stretched  across,  and  refused  to  allow  her  to  pass  out. 
Reasoning  and  entreaty  were  unavailing,  and  as  a  last 
resort  she  took  up  her  pail  and,  to  the  great  surprise  of 
the  impolite  young  savage,  dashed  the  buttermilk  all  over 
him.  He  then  beat  a  retreat,  and  left  her  mistress  of  the 
field,  with  only  the  loss  of  one  bucket  of  milk.  Some- 
time afterward  an  errand  took  her  among  the  wigwams, 
and  at  a  time,  it  appeared,  when  the  occupants  had  ob- 
tained some  "fire-water."  Raising  the  curtain  of  their 
doorway,  according  to  custom,  to  make  an  inquiry,  the 
young  savages  sprang  up  and  threatened  her  with  their 
tomahawks.  She  stood  and  laughed  at  them,  and  at 
length,  ashamed  perhajjs  to  injure  the  bold,  defenceless 
girl,  they  let  her  pass  on  and   accomplish   her   errand. 


76  LAKE  coT;xr\-. 

This  she  succeeded  in  doing,  and  then  returned  in  safety 
to  the  IJryant  cabin,  ghid  to  have  esca])ed  the  ])eril 
tlirough  which  she  had  ]<assed.  The  heroine  of  these 
incidents  soon  afterward  married,  and  became  an  inliab- 
itant  of  Lake,  having  now  several  grown  uj)  daughters, 
and  being  the  head  of  one  of  our  well  known  and  highly 
respected  families. 

A  still  greater  i)eril  was  experienced  by  Mrs.  Saxlon, 
who  became  a  resident  on  tlie  ^Viggins  ])lace.  Her  hus- 
band was  away,  and  she  was  at  home  with  small  chil- 
dren. The  evening  was  cold  and  stormy,  and,  as  it  ad- 
vanced, an  Indian  called  at  the  door  requesting  shelter. 
At  first  his  request  was  refused,  but  one  of  the  children 
pleaded  for  him  ;  the  storm  was  pelting  without,  and  he 
was  admitted.  He  was  a  young  man,  and  unfortunately 
had  with  him  a  bottle  of  wliisky.  He  wanted  some  corn 
bread.  It  was  made,  but  did  not  suit  him.  He  drank 
whisky  and  was  cross.  An  intoxicated  man,  whether 
white  or  red,  is  an  unpleasant  guest.  A  second  trial  in 
the  bread  line  was  made,  using  only  meal,  and  salt,  and 
water,  which  succeeded  better.  The  Indian  talked  some, 
sat  by  the  fire,  drank.  He  went  to  the  door  and  looked 
out.  Something  to  this  effect  he  muttered,  "'  Pottawat- 
omies  lived  all  round  here;  wliite  man  drove  them  away. 
Ugh  !"  Then  he  went  back  to  tlie  fire.  A  little  child 
was  lying  in  the  cradle,  and  he  threatened  its  life.  The 
alarmed  mother  and  children  could  offer  little  effectual 
resistance.  But  the  Indian  delayed  to  strike  the  fatal 
blow.  At  length  he  slei)t.  'i'hen  the  startled  mother 
poured  out  what  was  left  in  the  bottle,  and  waited  for 
the  morning.     The  savage  and  drunken  guest  awoke,  ex- 


THE    POTTAWATOMIES.  77 

amined  his  bottle,  and  finding  it  empty,  said,  "  Bad  She- 
mokiman  woman  !  Drink  up  all  of  Indian's  whisky." 
He  then  went  off  to  Miller's  Mill,  replenished  his  bot- 
tle and  returned.  Sometime  in  the  day  Dr.  Palmer  came 
along  and  succeeded  in  relieving  this  family  of  their 
troublesome  guest.  The  next  night  this  Indian's  father 
came ;  apologized  as  best  he  could  ;  said  that  was  bad 
Indian  and  should  trouble  them  no  more. 

One  pleasant  Cedar  Lake  incident  may  be  here  re- 
corded. A  party  of  nine,  eight  men  and  one  -squaw, 
called  one  morning  at  the  residence  of  H.  Ball,  and  de- 
sired breakfast.  It  was  soon  prepared  for  them,  and  all 
took  places  at  the  table  and  ate  heartily.  At  first  only 
the  men  took  seats  for  eating,  but  their  entertainer 
insisted  that  the  squaw  also  should  sit  down  with  them. 
This  caused  among  the  Indians  no  little  merriment. 
They  had  brought  with  them  considerable  many  pack- 
ages of  fur,  and  as  they  passed  out  each  one  took  two 
muskrat  skins  and  laid  them  down  as  the  pay  for  his 
breakfast.  They  then  went  into  a  little  store  on  the 
place  and  traded  out  quite  a  quantity  of  fur.  After 
some  hours  trading  they  quietly  departed. 

The  following  has  been  kindly  prepared  for  this  re- 
cord by  an  early  settler  of  Pleasant  Grove.  It  contains 
some  recollections  of  his  boyhood-: 

"At  the  time  referred  to,  as  late  perhaps  as  1840, 
bands  of  Indians  would  frequently  come  into  the  settle- 
ments, erect  their  tents,  and  remain  as  long  as  the  hunt- 
ing was  good.  They  would  then  go  to  some  other  hunt- 
ing ground  and  remain  for  a  time.  These  companies 
consisted   frequently  of  from  twenty  to   fifty,  including 


78  LAKE    COUNTY. 

men,  women,  and  children  ;  dogs  and  Indian  ponies  not 
included.  The  Indians  were  generally  peaceful  and  it  is 
not  remembered  that  they  committed  any  acts  of  dep- 
redation, when  they  were  properly  treated,  during  the 
time  they  remained  in  that  section  of  the  country. 
They  visited  Wayne  Bryant  and  family  often  ;  were  said 
to  be  uniformly  kind,  were  anxious  to  exchange 
such  commodities  as  they  had  for  provisions.  They  in- 
cpiired  the  name  of  Mr.  Bryant,  and  on  being  told  that 
his  name  was  '  Wayne  '  they  exhibited  surprise  and  indi- 
cations of  fear,  and  by  their  language  and  deportment 
Mr.  Bryant  was  led  to  believe  that  they  had  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  manner  in  which  some  of  their  race  had  been 
treated  by  Mad  Anthony  Wayne  of  historic  reputation. 
"An  instance  may  be  given  of  the  result  of  an  attempt 
to  trifle  with  the  Indians.  Two  of  the  early  settlers  con- 
cluded to  amuse  themselves  with  them,  and  one  evening 
they  went  to  their  cam})  near  where  Lowell  now  stands 
and  proposed  to  sell  them  a  gallon  of  whisky.  The  In- 
dians said  they  would  trade  fur,  and  brought  out  a 
respectable  quantity  which  they  offered  for  the  gallon  of 
whisky.  The  men  said,  '  It  is  not  enough.'  So  the  In- 
dians brought  more  fur,  and,  on  being  refused,  continued 
to  pile  up  the  fur,  and  gathered  around  the  men,  until 
they  were  told  that  they  were  only  joking,  and  they  had 
no  whisky.  But  the  Indians  declared  they  would  have 
it,  and  proceeded  to  enforce  their  demand,  when  the 
whites  broke  and  ran,  being  closely  followed  by  the  Indi- 
ans in  a  race,  until  the  whites  took  shelter  in  tlieir  own 
log  cabin,  an  Indian  following  one  of  the  men  into  his 
door-yard." 


THE    POTTAWATOMIES.  79 

The  Indians  evidently  had  not  learned  the  ways  of 
civilized  grain  dealers  "  on  'Change, "to  be  able  to  buy  and 
sell  what  one  did  not  possess. 

It  is  a  pity  to  spoil  a  good  story,  but  justice  requires 
that  another  version  of  this  occurrence  should  be  record- 
ed. I  have  conversed  with  one  of  the  actors  in  this 
scene  and  he  relates  that,  on  going  to  the  Indian  camp 
at  a  certain  time,  he  found  them  quite  merry  and  ani- 
mated, and  he  remarked,  "  I  guess  you  have  had  some 
whisky."  They  eagerly  caught  up  the  word  whisky  and 
offered  to  give  fur,  professing  to  understand  that  he  had 
some  whisky  for  sale.  In  vain  he  explained  to  them  that 
he  had  none,  but  supposed  they  had  been  drinking  some. 
They  piled  up  the  fur  and  crowded  around.  As  his  only 
alternative  he  did  run,  and  ran  well;  but  a  swift-footed 
savage  came  up  abreast  of  him  in  the  race,  although  he 
had  a  pathway  and  the  Indian  was  in  deep  snow,  and 
presented  his  knife  to  stop  his  flight.  The  white  man 
seized  the  Indian  by  the  arm,  threw  him  into  the 
snow,  and  reached  in  safety  the  shelter  of  a  cabin. 
He  probably  concluded  that  it  was  not  very  prudent  even 
to  name  whisky  in  the  presence  of  the  Indians.  The 
French  traders  on  the  gardens  did  not  sell  whisky  to  the 
Indians,  but  some  few  settlers  and  other  traders  had  the 
name  of  doing  it. 

As  still  further  illustrative  of  the  mode  of  living  and 
customs  of  these  French-taught  Pottawatomies,  let  us 
look  again  upon  the  village  and  white  family  at  Indian 
Town. 

A  head  man  resides  there  called  a  chief.  J.  W.  Din- 
widdie,  his  father,  and  sister,  are  staying  with  the  Bryant 


8o  LAKE    COUNTY. 

family  until  their  own  claim  is  ready  for  occupancy. 
The  chief  keeps  a  cow,  and  so  do  the  whites.  The 
chief's  wife  would  bring  up  their  cow,  and  also  would 
drive  along  sometimes  the  other  cow,  saying  as  she  passed 
the  settler's  cabin,  "  Here,  John,  I  have  brought  up  Mar- 
garet's cow."  This  squaw  had  a  quite  fair  complexion; 
was  between  thirty  and  forty  years  of  age,  in  appearance  ; 
could  talk  some  English,  and  was  very  kind  to  the 
whites.  The  chief's  name  was  called  Shaw-no-quak. 
Here  also  was  a  dancing-floor.  The  Indians  would  form 
in  a  line  for  a  dance  according  to  age,  the  oldest  always 
first,  the  little  children  last.  They  danced  in  lines  back 
and  forth.  The  old  chief,  a  young  chief,  and  an  old  In- 
dian sat  together  and  furnished  the  music.  This  was 
made  by  shaking  corn  in  a  gourd.  The  song  repeated 
over  and  over  the  name  of  their  chief.  After  the  dance 
they  feasted  on  venison  soup,  with  green  corn,  made  in 
iron  kettles,  served  in  wooden  trenchers  with  wooden 
ladles.  The  white  neighbors  present  at  one  of  these  en- 
tertainments were  invited  to  partake.  This  the  women 
declined  doing,  which  the  chief  did  not  like.  And  thus 
he  expressed  his  displeasure  :  "  No  good  Shemokiman  ! 
no  good  !  no  eat !  no  good  Shemokiman  woman  !"  Then 
he  would  pat  S.  Bryant  and  say,  "  Good  Shemokiman  ! 
Good  Shemokiman  !     Eat  with  Indian  !" 

This  Indian  Town  belongs  to  Porter  county;  but  the 
Dinwiddle  family  make  this  history  our  own,  and  it  gives 
us  a  more  full  view  of  Pottawatomie  life. 

The  camping-ground  at  Wiggins'  Point  was  called 
McGwinn's  Village,  being  named  after  one  of  their  head 
men. 


THE    POTTAWATOMIES.  8l 

The  Indians  here,  on  the  gardens,  and  elsewhere,  lived 
in  lodges  or  wigwams.  These  were  made  of  poles  driven 
into  the  ground,  the  tops  converging,  and  around  the 
circle  formed  by  the  poles  was  wound  a  species  of  mat- 
ting made  of  flags  or  rushes.  This  woven  flag  resembled 
a  variety  of  green  window  shades  seen  in  some  of  our 
stores  and  houses.  The  Indian  men  wore  a  calico  shirt, 
leggins,  moccasins,  and  a  blanket.  The  squaws  wore  a 
broadcloth  skirt  and  blanket.  "They  "toted"  or 
"packed  "  burdens.  The  Indians  along  the  marsh  kept 
a  good  many  ponies.  These  they  loaded  heavily  with 
furs  and  tent- matting  when  migrating.  They  also  used 
canoes  for  migrating  up  and  down  the  Kankakee.  The 
village  Indians  lost  some  eighty  ponies  one  winter  for 
Avant  of  sufficient  food.  Those  at  Orchard  Grove  win- 
tered very  well.  During  the  winter  the  men  were  busy 
trapping.  Three  Indians  caught,  in  one  season,  thirteen 
hundred  raccoons.  They  sold  the  skins  for  one  dollar 
and  a  quarter  each,  thus  making  on  raccoon  fur  alone 
$1625.  Other  fur  was  very  abundant  and  brought  a 
high  price  in  market.  They  trapped  economically  until 
they  were  about  to  leave  forever  the  hunting-grounds  of 
their  forefathers.  They  then  seemed  to  care  little  for 
the  fur  interests  of  those  who  had  purchased  their 
lands,  and  were  destroying  as  well  as  trapping,  when  some 
of  the  settlers  interfered. 

One  of  these  was  H.  Sanger.  He,  in  company  with 
some  others,  went  on  to  the  marsh  to  stay  the  destruc- 
tion it  was  said  was  there  going  on.  He  went  in  advance 
of  the  others  after  reaching  the  trapping  ground,  and  told 
the  Indians  they  must  cease  to  destroy  the  homes  of  the 


82  LAKE    COUNTY. 

fur-bearers.  He  is  himself  a  tall,  and  was  then  an  athletic 
man,  and  said  he,  "  Look  yonder.  Don't  you  see  my 
men .'" 

They  did  see  men  coming,  and  were  alarmed,  and  men- 
tioned toothers  the  threatening  aspect  of  the  "tall  She- 
mokiman."  One  Indian  burial-place  has  been  mentioned, 
the  one  at  the  McGwinn  village.  This  contained  about 
one  hundred  graves.  Another  has  also  been  referred  to 
at  the  head  of  Cedar  Lake.  This  one  has  not  been 
specially  disturbed.  At  Big  White  Oak  Island  was  a 
third.  Here  were  a  good  many  graves  ;  and  among  them 
six  or  seven  with  crosses.  There  were  probably  others 
over  which  the  plowshare  has  passed  and  no  memorial  of 
them  remains.  At  Crown  Point  was  a  small  garden, 
and  on  the  height  Indians  seem  to  have  camped,  but  no 
burial-place  is  known  to  have  been  found  here.  It  has 
been  claimed  that  sick  Indians  were  brought  here  to  be 
restored  to  health.  As  there  were  no  springs  of  water 
close  by,  and  no  unfailing  stream,  it  would  not  have  been 
desirable  for  a  permanent  camping  place.  A  few  toma- 
hawks have  been  found  near  the  present  town. 

Besides  the  mound  already  mentioned,  there  is  one 
quite  large  and  circular  on  the  west  side  of  Cedar  Lake  ; 
growing  upon  it  were,  thirty  years  ago,  some  large  oak 
trees ;  one  at  the  south  end  of  the  lake  also  circular  ;  one 
a  short  distance  north  of  Lowell ;  and  some  other  evi- 
dences of  human  existence.  Whether  the  mounds  were 
the  work  of  the  Pottawatomies,  or  of  those  Old  rvlound 
Builders  who  long  ago  disappeared,  is  quite  uncertain. 
Some  chiefs  have  been  mentioned.  The  principal  chief 
of  all  the  Pottawatomies,  becoming  such  by  adoption  in 


THE    POTTAWATOMIES.  83 

1825,  was  Alexander  Robinson,  a  man  part  Indian,  part 
French,  and  part  English,  who  died  but  a  few  months 
ago  at  his  home  on  the  Des  Plaines,  at  the  supposed  age 
of  one  hundred  and  four  years.  As  early  as  1809,  hav- 
ing become  connected  with  Joe  Bales,  the  founder  of 
Baileytown,  in  the  fur  trade  in  the  service  of  John  Jacob 
Astor,  he  was  engaged  in  taking  corn  around  the  head  of 
Lake  Michigan.  This  corn  was  raised  by  Pottawatomies 
and  brought  to  that  young  trading  post,  now  Chicago, 
"in  bark  woven  sacks  on  the  backs  of  ponies."  In  Au- 
gust, 181 2,  as  he  was  on  a  canoe  voyage  to  Chicago  to 
buy  corn,  friendly  Miamis  hailed  him  from  the  shore  with 
the  warning  "//<?/  to  go  to' Chicago^  as  it  would  sto?-/ii  to- 
morrow.'" He  therefore  left  his  canoe  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Big  Calumet,  and  passed  in  safety  through  the  Au- 
gust Massacre.  The  next  winter  he  was  living  in  Indian 
style  as  a  hunter  on  the  Calumet.  In  1829  he  took  a 
three-(iuarter  Indian  wife  from  the  Calumet.  His  head- 
quarters were  Chicago,  and  he  made  fur-trading  journeys 
extending,  it  is  said,  as  far  as  the  Wabash. 

This  is  the  man  whom  our  Pottawatomies,  as  well  as 
others,  recognized  as  head  Chief,  who  during  the  Black 
Hawk  War  "convened  one  of  the  last  Indian  councils 
ever  held  in  Chicago."  In  1836  the  great  body  of  this- 
tribe,  then  five  thousand  strong,  met  for  the  last  time  in 
Chicago, — one  of  our  citizens,  J.  Hurlburt,  was  in  Chicago 
at  that  time,  and  he  says  that  there  were  then  gathered 
ten  thousand  Indians, — "  received  their  presents  and  as- 
surance of  the  distinguished  esteem  of  the  Great  White 
Father,"  and  then,  led  by  this  chief,  called  Chee-chee- 
bing-way,  or  Blinking  Eyes,  left  these  hunting 


84  LAKE    COUNTY. 

for  their  Kansas  reserve.  But,  according  to  the  reliable 
authorities  for  the  statements  in  this  chapter,  many  still 
lingered  within  the  bounds  of  our  county.  Few  of  these, 
if  any,  remained  after  1839.  To  us  the  Pottawatomies 
have  left  many  of  their  bones  in  their  known  and  unknown 
burial-places,  the  name,  of  one  of  our  rivers,  and  their 
own  perishing  memorials  and  remembrances  as  treasured 
up  by  those  with  whom  they  had  intercourse.  Some  of  us 
who  are  now  living  enjoyed  for  a  few  years  their  rich  hunt- 
ing grounds  and  trapping  region  ;  but  the  deer  that  re- 
mained around  their  wigwams  will  not  tarry  long  around 
the  White  man's  home,  and  the  fur-bearing  animals  de- 
crease as  civilization  advances ;  and  soon  there  will  be 
only  now  and  then  a  bone,  an  arrow  head,  a  tomahawk', 
or  a  mound,  to  bear  witness  to  the  existence  of  Aborigi- 
nes. Already  it  is  said  that  the  tribe  who  once  occupied 
this  soil  has  dwindled  to  less  than  half  its  numbers  in  1836, 
and  like  the  other  tribes  of  North  American  Indians,  a 
strange  and  an  injured  people,  it  is  passing  into  western 
wilds,  crowded  on  by  the  whites,  and  rapidly  becoming 
extinct.  It  is  surely  but  just  that  the  citizens  of  Lake 
County  should  treasure  up  and  transmit  to  posterity 
among  their  own  records  some  memories  and  incidents  of 
the  once  powerful  Pottawatomies. 


GROWTH.       1840 1849. 


CHATER  IV. 

GROWTH.      1840 1849. 

Squatter  sovereignty  ceased  after  the  land  sale  of  the 
last  year.  Many  of  the  settlers  were  now  the  legal  own- 
ers of  the  soil,  holding  their  patents  from  the  United 
States.     Others  were  hoping  to  become  such  owners. 

The  leading  event  of  this  year,  1840,  which  opened  a 
new  career  and  a  hopeful  prospect  before  the  newly  made 
lords  of  the  soil,  was  the  relocation  of  the  county  seat. 
An  act  was  passed  by  the  State  Legislature  in  the  winter 
of  1839-40,  ordering  such  relocation.  The  commis- 
sioners appointed  were,  Jesse  Tomlinson  and  Edward 
Moore  of  Marion  county,  Henry  Barclay  of  Pulaski, 
Joshua  Lindsey  of  White,  and  Daniel  Doale  of  Carroll 
county. 

Benjamin  McCarty,  who,  with  his  brother-in-law,  had 
laid  out  the  town  of  Valparaiso,  which  became  the 
county  seat  of  Porter  county,  was  desirous  of  also  giving 
a  county  seat  to  Lake.  He  had  purchased  the  Lilley 
place,  on  the  northeast  side  of  Cedar  Lake,  had  laid  out 
a  town  called  West  Point,  and  was  now  a  competitor  with 
Solon  Robinson  for  the  honor  and  privilege  of  the  loca- 
tion. The  commissioners  came  into  Lake  in  June, 
Offers  of  comparatively  large  donations  were  made  by 
the  friends  of  each  locality.  The  commissioners  rode 
around,  looked  over  the  ground,  canvassed  the  claims 
and  offers  of  the  competitors,  and  finally  selected  Lake 
Court  House  as  the  proper  place  for  the  county  seat. 
7 


S6  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Town  Lots,  in  number  seventy-five,  were  soon  afterwards 
laid  out  upon  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Section  8,  twenty 
acres  belonging  to  Judge  Clark  and  forty  to  Solon  Rob- 
inson. 

A  large  public  square  was  laid  out  and  donated,  upon 
which  no  buildings  are  ever  to  be  erected,  and  an  acre  of 
ground  was  set  apart  exclusively  for  a  court  house  and 
public  offices.  Another  acre  was  given  for  school  pur- 
poses. If  I  understand  the  old  record  correctly,  the  two 
proprietors  also  donated  one-half  of  the  lots  laid  out, 
and  Judge  Clark  gave,  in  addition,  thirty-five  acres  adjoin- 
ing on  the  east ;  Solon  Robinson  also  gave  twenty  acres 
on  the  west.  Also  Russel  Eddy  gave  ten  acres  and 
J.  W.  Holton  fifteen  acres.  Other  donations  were  also 
made  in  money  and  labor.  These  donations,  of  course, 
went  to  the  public  or  the  county  ;  and  George  Earle  of 
Liverpool  was  appointed  County  Agent.  He  and  the 
two  proprietors  met  to  name  the  new  town. 

"I  have  a  name  to  propose,"  said  the  County  Agent. 

"  So  have  I,"  said  Solon  Robinson. 

'*  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  Crown  Point." 

"And  that  also  is  mine." 

So,  although  Judge  Clark  did  not  at  first  quite  fancy  the 
ftame,  it  was  soon  adopted,  having  been  suggested,  per- 
haps, as  in  contrast  with  the  West  Point  at  Cedar  Lake, 
and  containing,  it  may  be,  a  concealed  allusion  to  Solon 
Robinson's  well  known  title  of  Squatter-king.  As  such, 
his  place  should  have  the  crown.  Thus,  although  cer- 
tainly named  after  the  Crown  Point  in  New  York,  wheth- 
er named   in  honor  of  it   is  not  so  certain.     The  Agent 


GROWTH,    1840-1849,  87 

and  the  proprietors  sold  the  first  lots  at  auction  Nov.  19th, 
1840.  The  prices  ranged  from  $11.00  to  ^127.50  a  lot, 
on  two,  three,  and  four  years  credit,  the  first  year  with- 
out interest. 

The  United  States  census,  taken  this  year  by  Lewis 
Warriner,  showed  the  population  of  the  county  to  be  1468. 

During  this  summer  occurred  "the  great  wheat  blight." 
The  whole  crop,  it  was  said,  was  entirely  lost.  Not  a 
favorable  beginning  for  growth. 

This  summer  also,  S.  Robinson  and  Dr.  Palmer  ob- 
tained from  the  East  some  Berkshire  pigs,  the  first  in  the 
county.  E.  S.  McCarty,  at  Cedar  Lake,  put  up  and  burnt 
the  first  kiln  of  brick. 

Political  excitement  was  running  quite  high  this  sum- 
mer, as  a  presidential  election  was  coming  on.  Says 
Lossing,  "  The  contest  was  very  exciting,  and  was  char- 
acterized by  demoralizing  proceedings  hitherto  unknown 
in  the  United  States."  It  was  the  "  log  cabin "  and 
"  hard  cider  "  campaign.  A  large  political  gathering 
took  place  at  the  Tippecanoe  battle-ground.  To  this 
S.  Robinson,  Leonard  Cutler,  and  some  other  zealous 
Whigs  of  that  day,  went  down,  across  the  country,  with, 
I  think,  a  four  horse  team  and  flying  colors.  They  had 
the  credit  of  going  and  returning  without  becoming  de- 
moralized. They  at  least  claimed  that  credit.  The 
majority  of  our  citizens  of  that  day  were  Democrats  and 
in  favor  of  Martin  Van  Buren. 

In  the  spring  of  1843,  the  scarlet  fever,  in  a  very  malig- 
nant form,  visited  Crown  Point.  In  six  weeks  there 
were  eight  deaths.  Until  this  time,  from  1834  to  1843, 
the  inhabitants  here  had  felt  no  necessity  for  selecting  a 


88  LAKE    COUNTY. 

public  burial  ground.  In  March  the  old  cemetery  was 
opened.  Eight  burials  soon  took  place.  Solon  Robin- 
son makes  this  record  :  "And  while  our  feelings  were  yet 
tender  we  promised  that  the  ground  should  be  fenced 
and  improved.  Perhaps  our  children,  when  they  lay  us 
there,  will  make  the  same  promise  and  keep  it  as  well." 
Not  quite  correct  as  a  prediction,  but  too  true  in  its 
spirit.  None  fenced,  none  improved  that  spot.  A  second 
location  was  selected  for  burial  purposes.  That  proved 
unsatisfactory,  and  the  "  children  "  propose  to  transfer 
the  remains  of  their  dead  to  a  third  location,  the  Crown 
Point  New  Cemetery,  already  becoming  a  village  of  the 
dead.  I  have  no  record  to  make  in  this  volume  in 
regard  to  my  fellow-citizens  of  Lake  that  is  to  me  so 
saddening  as  that  which  I  place  here,  which  is,  that 
many  of  them  are  so  negligent  in  respect  to  protecting 
and  keeping  sacred  the  resting-places  once  set  apart  for 
the  repose  of  the  dead.  I  return  to  the  events  of  the 
year. 

A  few  sheep  had  been  kept  in  the  county  for  some 
years,  but  this  season  considerable  numbers  were  brought 
in  from  Ohio,  and  this  commenced  to  be  quite  a  wool- 
growing  region.  The  wheat  crop  of  this  year  was  poor. 
In  November  the  sale  of  "  Canal  Lands"  lying  in  this 
county  took  place  at  Delphi. 

Two  church  buildings  were  erected,  the  Methodist 
Church  at  West  Creek,  near  the  Torrey  bridge,  and  the 
Catholic  chapel  on  Prairie  West.  Rev.  N.  Warriner,  the 
resident  Baptist  pastor,  moved  to  Illinois,  and  Rev.  M. 
Allman,  a  local  preacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,    settled,   during  the   summer,  in    Crown    Point. 


GROWTH.       1840 — 1849.  89 

The  Presbyterian  church  at  Crown  Point  was  this  year 
organized.  Elias  Bryant  and  Cyrus  M.  Mason  were 
elected  elders,  Rev.  Mr.  Brown  of  Valparaiso  the  acting 
pastor. 

From  a  diary  the  following  extracts  are  taken  :  "  Sep- 
tember 1 6th.  This  morning  Mr.  Sherman  was  found 
dead,  killed  by  a  fall  from  a  wagon."  Also,  same  day, 
"James  Farwell  died." 

"  22nd.  To-day  have  attended  the  funeral  of  Mr. 
Adonijah  Taylor,  who  died  yesterday." 

July  8th  is  recorded.     "  Camp  meeting  commenced." 

This  meeting  was  doubtless  held  on  Cedar  Point, 
where,  in  a  beautiful  spot  on  the  east  side  of  Cedar  Lake, 
a  commodious  camp-ground  had  been  arranged.  Inter- 
esting meetings  were  here  held  for  a  few  seasons  ;  and 
then  such  meetings,  except  among  the  German  Metho- 
dists west  of  Cedar  Lake,  ceased  to  be,  in  our  borders. 

Of  the  events  of  1844  I  find  little  to  record  on  this 
page.  The  wheat  crop  was  much  injured  by  rust,  many 
fields  were  not  "  worth  cutting."  The  average  price  of 
wheat  for  a  period  of  years,  now,  did  not  exceed  sixty 
cents  a  bushel.  The  average  distance  for  hauling  it  was 
not  less  than  forty  miles,  the  market  place  being  Chica- 
go. The  price  of  other  productions  was  proportionately 
low.  It  is,  therefore,  no  wonder  that  many  settlers,  who 
had  borrowed  money  at  the  land  sale  at  exorbitant 
rates  of  interest,  failed  to  make  payments,  and  that  so 
many  acres  of  Lake  county  lands  went  into  the  hands  of 
small  capitalists  at  La  Porte.  The  wonder  rather  is,  that 
during  this  period  the  county  improved  at  all.  Many 
settlers,  who  had  toiled  resolutely  on  their  claims,  who 


9©  LAKE    COUNTY. 

had  stood  firmly  with  their  fellow-squatters  in  asserting  a 
preemption  right,  feeling  how  fully  the  speculators' 
grasp  was  upi-n  them,  abandoned  their  places  and  sought 
other  homes  in  the  more  distant  West.  There  is  evidence 
from  the  assessment  records,  and  from  the  lists  of  grand 
and  petit  jurors,  and  from  the  records  of  plaintiffs  and 
defendants  in  the  circuit  court,  that  one  half  or  more  of 
the  early  settlers  passed  out  of  the  county  during  the 
decade  which  is  included  in  this  chapter. 

In  the  summer  of  1845  the  wheat  crop  was  very  good, 
the  corn  crop  was  good  ;  large  quantities  of  butter  were 
now  made  for  sale,  and  considerable  cheese.  The  grist 
mill  of  Wilson  &  Saunders,  on  Deep  River,  was  this  year 
put  in  operation,  and  a  large  mill  was  erected  outside  of 
the  county,  at  Momence. 

Two  church  buildings  were  commenced  at  Crown 
Point,  the  old  Methodist  church  and  the  present  Presby- 
terian, neither  one  being  complete  until  the  following 
year. 

On  the  fourth  of  May  of  this  year  was  opened  the  Ce- 
dar Lake  Sunday  School,  a  school  held  continuously  for 
a  number  of  years,  back  to  which  may  he  traced  many 
influences  for  good,  connected  with  which  was  the  first 
mission  school  of  the  county,  held  at  Mrs.  Farwell's  over 
West  Creek,  and  the  associations  around  which  scat- 
tered groups  of  the  dead  and  the  living  will  never  forget. 

Another  diary  record  :  July  25th,  "  Lewis  F.  Warri- 
riner  died  to-day,  at  6.00  p.  m.,  at  Dr.  Wood's,  after  an 
illness  of  about  twelve  days."  He  was  a  son  of  Lewis 
Warriner,  who,  as  representative  of  the  county  at  Indi- 
anapolis, was  so  fully  and  favorably  known,  and  was  one 


GROWTH.  91 

of  the  noblest  young  men  in  the  community  or  the  coun- 
ty. His  death  was,  by  those  who  knew  him,  deeply  de- 
plored. Sometime  before  the  same  neighborhood  had 
lost  a  very  promising  young  man,  Franklin  Edgerton ; 
and  near  where  the  remains  of  these  are  resting  was 
buried.  May  19th,  1839,  the  body  of  a  youth,  George 
Taylor;  but  so  sadly  has  that  little  mound  on  the  east 
side  of  Cedar  Lake  been  neglected  that  none  can  now 
point  out  these  graves.  The  first  settlers  on  that  east 
side  found  enclosures  or  pens  of  logs  marking  the  Pot- 
tawatomie graves  in  the  sand  ridge  above  the  northeast- 
ern beach.  To  those  some  of  their  boys  set  fire,  and 
now  Indian's  burial-place  and  White  man's  burial-place 
there  are  about  alike  neglected  and  forgotten. 

In  the  spring  of  1846  Rev.  Wm.  Townley  settled  at 
Crown  Point  as  the  first  resident  pastor  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church. 

The  summer  of  1846  was  one  of  uncommon  calamities. 
It  was  very  dry  and  very  hot.  Sickness  was  almost  uni- 
versal. There  were  few  to  relieve  the  wants  of  the  sick 
or  to  administer  medicine.  Fields  of  grain  wasted,  uncut 
or  unstacked.  Much  of  the  wheat  raised  was  badly  shrunk; 
and  half  the  potato  crop  was  destroyed  by  a  disease  call- 
ed the  rot.  The  fall  that  followed  was  very  favorable  for 
cutting  wild  grass,  and  the  succeeding  winter  was  mild, 
so  that  cattle  did  not  suffer  for  want  of  food.  Thus  often 
are  calamities  followed  by  mercies.  The  wind  is  tem- 
pered to  the  shorn  lamb. 

In  1847  there  were  in  the  county  seven  post-offices.  A 
mail  carried  twice  a  week  from  LaPorte  to  Joliet  supplied 
Crown  Point  office.    A  mail  was  carried  once  a  week  from 


92  LAKE    COUNTY. 

West  Creek  to  Valparaiso  and  from  West  Creek  to  City 
West. 

In  connection  with  the  mail  from  LaPorte  to  Joliet 
occurred  the  incident  of  Solon  Robinson's  killing  the 
bear.  The  mail  carrier  then  was  John  Church,  of  Prairie 
West.  He  came  in  with  the  mail  one  day  and  report 
ed  that  a  black  bear  was  on  the  Soc  Trail  in  advance 
of  himself,  and  that  he  had,  with  his  horse,  actually 
driven  him  into  the  suburbs  of  the  village.  Solon  Rob- 
inson, the  post  master,  in  the  words  of  my  informant, 
"hooted  at  it."  Like  the  Indian  on  first  hearing  about 
railroads  and  telegraphs,  he  "  poohed  "  it.  Nevertheless, 
soon  after — distributing  that  mail  was  not  a  lengthy  task 
— he  took  up  his  trusty  rifle  and  went  out.  Sure  enough, 
he  soon  encountered  bruin,  fired  away  at  him,  and  soon 
the  villagers  learned  of  the  death  of  their  new  visitant, 
the  tired  black  bear. 

In  this  same  year,  of  seven  post  offices,  there  were  five 
saw  mills  in  operation,  Earle's,  Dustin's,  and  Woods,  on 
Deep  River;  McCarty's  on  Cedar  Creek,  and  Foley's 
where  it  is  now.  There  were  three  of  earlier  date,  then 
dilapidated:  Miller's,  Dustin's  old  one,  and  Walton's,  on 
Turkey  Creek.  Two  others  had  been  commenced,  one 
on  Plum,  the  other  on  Cedar  Creek. 

There  were  then  two  grist  mills,  Wood's,  which  for  a 
time  supplied  both  Lake  and  Porter  counties,  and  Wilson 
and  Saunders'.  George  Earle  was  then  erecting  the  third, 
the  mill  at  Hobart.  There  were  in  the  county  about  fifty 
frame  houses ;  five  church  buildings,  four  of  which  have 
been  mentioned,  and  the  fifth  a  Methodist  church  at 
Hickory  Point ;  two  brick  dwelling-houses,  the  first  one 


GROWTH.      1840 1849.  93 

erected  in  1844;  and  four  or  five  stores.  Two  of  these 
were  at  Crown  Point,  kept  by  H.  S.  Pelton  and  Wm. 
Alton  ;  one  at  Pleasant  Grove,  one  at  Wood's  mill,  one  at 
St.  Johns.  There  were  five  resident  local  Methodist 
preachers,  one  circuit  preacher,  and  one  Presbyterian 
minister.  A  Catholic  missionary  visited  the  church  on 
Prairie  West.  There  were  two  attorneys,  six  or  seven 
physicians,  and  fifteen  justices  of  the  peace. 

There  were  two,  only,  open  drinking  shops  in  our  bor- 
ders. Crown  Point  then  contained  about  thirty  families, 
two  churches,  two  stores,  one  hotel,  one  small  school- 
house,  four  physicians,  three  ministers,  the  two  lawyers, 
of  course,  and  several  mechanics.  Its  population  was 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty.  There  was  then  no  other 
place  that  could  well  be  called  a  village.  In  this  the  log 
cabins  were  still  standing.  I  have  given  the  first  county 
officers,  those  of  1837. 

The  officers  ten  years  afterwards,  or  in  1847,  were  the 
following : 

Henry  Wells,  Sheriff;  H.  D.  Palmer,  Associate  Judge; 
Hervey  Ball,  Probate  Judge;  D.  K.  Pettibone,  Clerk; 
Joseph  Jackson,  Auditor;  Major  Allman,  Recorder ;  Wm. 
C.  Farrington,  Treasurer;  Alex.  McDonald,  Assessor;  S. 
T.  Green,  H.  S.  Pelton,  and  Robert  Wilkinson,  Commis- 
sioners. 

I  have  passed  over,  in  the  order  of  events,  the  part 
taken  by  our  citizens  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  insert  it 
here,  as  a  fitting  close  for  this  chapter. 

This  war,  it  may  be  remembered,  was  declared  May 
nth,  1846,  and  the  President  was  authorized  to  raise  fifty 
thousand    volunteers.     After   the    victories    of   the    Rio 

8 


94  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Grande,  "  everywhere  the  young  men  of  America  were 
now  ready,"  says  Mrs.  Willard,  to  push  for  the  "  Halls  of 
the  Montezumas." 

The  military  spirit  of  Capt.  Joseph  P.  Smith  was  at 
once  aroused.  The  drum  and  the  fife  were  heard  in 
Crown  Point.  Volunteers  were  soon  enlisted,  and  in  four 
counties  a  company  was  raised.  Some  twenty-five  or 
thirty  of  these  were  from  Lake.  The  Independent  Mili- 
tary Company,  which  had  been  organized  at  Crown  Point 
in  1840-41,  under  Capt.  Smith,  which  had  done  military 
duty  on  celebration  days  and  acted  on  other  occasions, 
furnished  most  of  these  volunteers. 

Their  chief  officer,  Joseph  P.  Smith,  an  excellent  man 
of  business,  had  been  captain  of  the  Monroe  Blues,  called, 
in  their  day,  one  of  the  finest  companies  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  Before  the  volunteers  left,  one  of  the  com- 
pany, Cornelius  Cook,  died  suddenly  at  Crown  Point,  in 
1846,  and  was  buried  with  military  honors.  The  gather- 
ing of  people  was  very  large,  as  this  was  the  first  military 
funeral  in  the  county.  In  1847  these  volunteers  joined 
the  army  in  Mexico.  They  were  not  in  battle.  They 
served  as  guards.  They  were  six  months  at  Monterey. 
They  returned  in  the  fall  of  1848,  "all  there  were  left  of 
them."  Forty-seven  out  of  the  one  company  died  by 
sickness  on  the  fatal  route  and  amid  the  burning  heats. 
One  who  experienced  the  sufferings  of  that  march  and 
the  exposures  of  that  guard  duty,  our  well-known  towns- 
man, Capt.  Alfred  Fry,  returned  to  meet  the  yet  sterner 
conflict  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  and  to  endure  and 
survive  the  suffering  of  the  Libby  prison.  He  knows 
what  it  means  to  sustain  the  honor  of  his  country's  flag. 


GROWTH.  95 

Peace  had  again  spread  over  a  rapidly  groAving  coun- 
try. The  telegraph  had  been  invented,  and  a  few  thou- 
sand miles  of  railroad,  mostly  in  Ohio,  had  been  built 
since  1840.  1849  came  and  closed  over  Lake  county, 
slowly  and  surely  growing,  her  people  cultivating  the  arts 
of  peace,  but  waiting,  as  it  were,  for  a  new  impulse  and 
new  facilities  to  rouse  up  her  sons  and  to  develop  more 
rapidly  her  resources. 


g6  LAKE    COUNTY. 

CHAPTER  V. 

NEW  GROWTH.        1850 1859. 

As  this  decade  opened,  and  the  year  advanced  which 
closed  the  first  half  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  a  new- 
element  of  growth,  of  expansion,  and  of  progress  was 
found  among  the  northern  sand  hills  of  Lake.  This  was 
the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  track,  making  its  way  from 
Detroit,  having  crossed  the  peninsula  of  Michigan,  over 
marsh  and  sand  bank  and  morass ;  at  length  leaving  the 
land  and  laid  on  piles  in  the  edge  of  Lake  Michigan  ; 
and  entering  at  last  the  young,  growing  city,  known  by 
the  Indian  name  Chicago.  This  railroad  was  completed 
in  1850. 

A  station  was  located  on  Deep  River,  south  of  the 
Calumet,  and  named  Lake;  the  steam  whistle  was  heard 
for  the  first  time  where  had  been  the  scream  of  the  eagle 
and  the  sharp  notes  of  water  fowl ;  and  the  people  of  the 
county  soon  ascertained  that  they  were  in  close  connec- 
tion, by  rail  and  wire  communication,  with  the  Atlantic 
seaboard. 

It  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  era,  the  era  of  western 
railroads.  One  track  had  entered  Chicago,  if  it  was  by 
water ;  and  others  were  soon  to  follow.  Up  to  this  time 
every  bushel  of  grain,  every  pound  of  butter,  and  cheese, 
and  pork,  all  the  produce  of  every  kind  not  consumed  at 
home,  must  reach  the  Chicago  market  by  the  slow  trans- 
portation of  ox  and  horse  teams,  and  along  a  road,  if  road 
it  should  be  called,  where  the  water  would  often  be,  upon 


NEW    GROWTH.  97 

the  Blue  Island  Sag,  two  or  three  feet  in  depth,  and  where 
it  was  needful  sometimes  to  "double  teams"  when  each 
team  consisted  of  two  or  three  yoke  of  stout  oxen.  And 
along  the  same  road  and  by  the  same  method  of  convey- 
ance was  until  then  transported  every  foot  of  lumber,  and 
pound  of  nails,  and  every  article  of  merchandise  pur- 
chased in  the  city. 

What  profitable  business  farming  was  in  those  days  may 
be  readily  learned  by  a  little  calculation.  At  the  least, 
three  days'  time  would  be  required  for  man  and  team, 
worth  three  dollars  a  day,  or  nine  dollars.  Two  nights' 
expenses,  on  the  road,  worth  or  costing  some  two  dollars. 
A  single  team  might  take  thirty  bushels  of  wheat.  This 
would  bring  fifteen  dollars ;  thus  leaving  four  dollars  to 
pay  for  the  raising.  Here  is  an  actual  and  not  a  supposed 
case:  J.  W.  Dinwiddie,  a  better  calculator  and  man- 
ager than  whom  few  farmers  that  knew  him  would  claim 
to  be,  undertook  farming  before  the  days  of  steam  power 
in  the  West.  He  hauled  wheat  to  Chicago,  paid  the 
expenses,  and  had  when  he  reached  home,  five  dollars 
less  than  when  he  started  for  the  market.  He  gave  up 
farming,  sold  out,  and  went  to  Illinois  to  work  upon  the 
canal.  But  in  1852  he  was  again  to  be  found  among  the 
farmers  of  the  covmty,  and  the  operations  he  conducted 
afterwards  until  the  time  of  his  death,  show  that  a  new 
era,  even  in  farming,  had  commenced. 

After  the  opening  of  business  at  Lake  Station,  a  daily 
hack  line  was  started,  running  between  Crown  Point  and 
Lake  Station,  and  passing  through  Centerville.  This 
soon  carried  a  daily  mail.  By  means  of  this  first  rail- 
road some  facilities  were  afforded  for  sending  off  produce 


98  LAKE    COUNTY. 

and  bringing  in  merchandise.  A  second  was  soon  after 
constructed — the  Michigan  Southern. 

The  Joliet  Cut  Off  was  built  in  1854,  giving  us  the 
stations  of  Ross  and  Dyer.  The  latter  at  once  became 
the  most  important  shipping  point  in  our  bounds. 

The  Fort  Wayne  railroad  was  completed  in  1858. 
Hobart  began  to  grow,  and  Crown  Point  was  within 
twelve  miles  of  a  station,  which  then  became  its  shipping 
point.  A  hack  line  was  established  and  continued  for  a 
short  time  between  Ross  and  Crown  Point;  but  Hobart 
remained  until  1865  the  principal  railroad  station  for  the 
county  seat  and  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  eastern  part 
of  the  county.  Dyer  continued  to  be  an  excellent  ship- 
ping point  for  produce,  and  for  lumber,  and  goods,  until 
the  same  period ;  and  up  to  the  present  time  ships 
largely  for  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Johns  and  Hanover 
Townships. 

Increased  facilities  for  transportation  enabled  the 
farming  community  to  realize  more  for  their  produce  and 
obtain  building  materials  more  easily  than  in  former 
years,  and  improved  buildings,  and  fences,  and  barns, 
and  stables,  were  the  result. 

The  population  of  the  county  during  these  years  con- 
tinually increased. 

In  1850  two  brothers,  Thomas  and  William  Fisher,  be- 
coming residents,  started,  at  South  East  Grove,  a  broom 
factory.  This  was  about  the  commencement  of  indus- 
trial interests  aside  from  farming.  Something  in  the 
wagon  making  business  had  previously  been  done  at  the 
shop  of  Major  Farwell,  in  Crown  Point.  At  this  broom 
factory  one  thousand  a  week  were  sometimes  made,  or 


NEW    GROWTH.  99 

fifty  thousand  a  year  during  the  more  busy  years.  The 
proprietors  both  raised  and  bought  the  broom  corn 
brush  which  they  worked  up.  In  harvest  time  they 
sometimes  had  as  many  as  thirty-two  hands  at  dinner. 
The  brooms  sold  in  Chicago  at  seventy-five  cents  a 
dozen.  V/ork  was  carried  on  in  the  Grove  till  1859, 
when  they  removed  the  factory  on  to  the  farm  now 
known  as  the  Hews  place.  Here  in  one  year  one  hun- 
dred and  eight  acres  of  broom  corn  were  raised,  and 
then  worked  up  into  brooms.  This,  if  not  a  large  busi- 
ness for  the  East,  was  something  in  the  new  West. 

In  1852  Joseph  Hack  bought  out  the  shop  of  Major 
Farwell  and  commenced,  with  blacksmithing  and  wagon- 
making,  which  has  now  become  quite  an  important  item 
in  our  productive  mechanical  toil. 

In  1850  or  '51,  James  Hunt  came  into  the  county  from 
La  Porte;  in  1852  Marshall  M.  Barber,  and  in  1853  Peter 
Burhans  and  Samuel  Burhans.  These  all  settled  near 
together,  south  and  a  little  west  of  Lowell,  near  the 
marsh,  and  being  intelligent  and  enterprising  men,  were 
a  great  addition  to  the  farming  interests  in  that  neigh- 
borhood. 

In  1855  the  "New  Hampshire  Settlement  "  on  Lake 
Prairie,  was  commenced..  Ten  families,  natives  of  New 
F.ngland,  soon  established  themselves  south  of  the  center 
of  that  beautiful  prairie,  bringing  their  Eastern  habits 
with  them,  organizing,  in  1856,  an  Independent  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  erecting  a  school-house  and  sustaining  an 
excellent  school,  and  making  that  prairie  wild,  which  for 
long  years  had  blossomed  abundantly,  bring  forth  the  rich 
fruits  of  a  Christian  civilization.     The  labors  of  the  first 


lOO  LAKE    COUNTY. 

spiritual  husbandman  among  them,  Rev.  H.  Wason,  be- 
coming pastor  in  1857,  were  richly  rewarded  by  a  spirit- 
ual growth  and  increase ;  and  a  new  Sabbath  School  and 
church-going  center  was  recognized  as  having  sprung 
vigorously  up.  Most  of  the  early  improvements  con- 
nected with  the  founding  and  growth  of  Lowell  belong 
to  these  ten  years. 

M.  A.  Halsted,  one  of  the  most  enterprising  men  among 
all  our  citizens,  laid  out  the  town  of  Lowell,  built  a  saw 
mill,  a  grist  mill,  and  with  some  help  from  others,  a  brick 
meeting  house;  and  was  to  a  great  extent  the  center  of 
all  the  business  life  that  during  these  years  was  growing 
at  that  place.  The  town  plat,  as  recorded,  bears  date 
Ma,y  13,  1853,  and  bears  the  signature  Melvin  A.  Halsted. 
A  brick  school-house  was  soon  erected,  in  which  for  a 
time  religious  meetings  were  held  ;  and  the  old  religious 
centers  of  Pleasant  Grove  and  West  Creek  were,  as  to 
their  interests,  soon  transferred  to  Lowell,  where  a  Bap- 
tist, a  Methodist,  and  a  Christian  church,  began  to  hold 
regular  meetings. 

A  tavern,  stores,  and  various  shops  came  along  in  their 
natural  order,  as  the  supply  for  a  demand  created ;  and 
a  steady  town  growth  commenced.  While  the  northern 
villages  were  built  up  by  railroads,  Lowell,  the  only  busi- 
ness center  in  the  southern  townships,  grew  up  by  means 
of  its  water  power  and  its  men.  Among  these  were  Wm. 
Sigler,  a  son  of  an  old  settler,  who  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising, and  carried  on  a  large  trade,  and  J.  Thorn.  The 
two  brothers,  Henry  and  Harvey  Austin,  came  during  this 
period,  settling  on  a  farm  just  out  of  Lowell,  and  added 
a  new  force  in  intelligence,  and  social,  business,  and  moral 


NEW    GROWTH.  lOI 

enterprise,  to  those  who  were  laying  the  foundation  of 
business  and  social  life.  One  of  them  was  for  many 
years  the  energetic  and  successful  superintendent  of  the 
Lowell  Union  Sabbath  School.  The  other  returned,  after 
a  short  residence  here,  to  the  State  of  Michigan.  South 
and  West  of  these  two  brothers,  and  near  Henry  and 
William  Belshaw,  and  not  far  from  the  two  Burhans  fam- 
ilies, Amos  Brannon  and  James  Brannon  purchased  Canal 
Lands  and  began  farming;  the  date  of  entry  of  the  former 
being  1847,  of  the  latter  1851.  These,  like  the  others 
just  named,  proved  to  be  solid,  prosperous,  reliable  men, 
of  sterling  worth  in  a  community. 

In  Hobart  Township  a  number  of  new  families  found 
homes  ;  but  the  growth  of  the  village  of  Hobart,  for  some 
years  after  the  opening  of  the  Fort  Wayne  Road,  was 
slow.  It  seemed  to  lack  that  class  of  men  who  finally 
came  in  and  helped  to  make  it  what  it  now  is. 

In  North  Township  Joseph  Hess  settled  in  1850,  and 
built  up  the  village  of  Hessville,  of  which  he  is  the  prin- 
cipal man  and  the  money  maker. 

In  1856  A.  N.  Hart,  from  Philadelphia,  entering  a  large 
amount  of  swamp  land,  made  his  home  at  Dyer.  In  the 
second  city  of  the  Union  he  had  been  a  book  publisher 
and  business  man,  and  bringing  with  him  capital  and 
business  talent,  he  became  to  the  interests  at  Dyer  a  great 
acquisition.  To  his  capital  and  energy  that  place  owes 
no  little  of  its  celebrity  and  growth. 

Over  West  Creek  the  Klaas  family  settled  in  1850,  the 
pioneer  of  a  number  of  German  families.  In  1856  H.  C. 
Beckman,  a  thorough  business  man,  a  successful  merchant, 
late  county  commissioner,  settled  in  Hanover.    The  Krin- 


I02  LAKE    COUNTY. 

bill's,  George  and  Andrew,  with  other  families  from  Chi- 
cago, settled  southwest  of  Cedar  Lake,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  large  Beckley  family,  in  1850  and  1851.  This 
Beckley  family  were  the  founders  of  the  large  and  pros- 
perous community  of  German  Methodists  in  Hanover 
and  West  Creek  Townships.  Andrew  Krinbill  sold  goods, 
sent  East  and  obtained  a  shoemaker,  sent  to  Chicago  for 
a  blacksmith,  and  commenced  a  flourishing  village.  The 
blacksmith  and  shoemaker  made  money  and  went  to 
farming;  and  in  1858  Andrew  Krinbill  came  up  to  the 
county  seat.  The  village  did  not  grow;  but  the  farming 
interests  flourished  and  the  settlement  increased. 

In  Eagle  Creek  Township,  J.  W.  Dinwiddle,  retiring 
from  business  at  Crown  Point,  became  again  a  farmer, 
and  was  soon  recognized  as  one  of  the  best  calculating, 
most  energetic,  and  prominent  men,  not  only  of  the 
township  but  of  the  county.  Under  his  administration 
as  township  trustee  the  three  large  and  well  constructed 
school  houses  were  erected  known  as  Plum  Grove,  Eagle 
Creek,  and  Bryant's.  He  commenced  and  carried  on 
actively  large  farming  operations. 

At  Southeast  Grove  were  other  energetic  farmers  and 
money  makers,  some  of  whom  were  residents  of  an  ear- 
lier date,  now  making  steady  improvements  and  laying 
foundations  for  more  rapid  accumulations  in  the  coming 
years.  Their  names  will  be  found  recorded  in  another 
connection.  During  these  years  the  range  for  stock  was 
abundantly  large.  Thousands  of  acres  of  excellent 
pasture  lands  invited  the  herds  of  cattle.  The  limit  for 
stock  raising  was  the  amount  of  provender  that  could  be 
provided  for  the  winter. 


NEW    GROWTH.  I03 

In  1853,  David  Bryant  returned  again  into  the  county, 
bought  a  large  farm,  and  brought  in  from  Ohio  a  flock  of 
one  thousand  and  sixty  sheep  in  1854.  He  now  settled 
in  Eagle  Creek  Township.  The  two  Mitchells,  David 
and  Robert,  at  this  time  made  business  visits  to  the 
county,  buying  cattle  and  preparing  the  way  for  the  loca- 
tion here  of  the  Mitchell  families.  These  afterwards 
went  into  the  sheep  business  extensively.  M.  A.  Halsted, 
also,  and  others,  now  commenced  sheep  keeping  and 
wool  raising.  Parts  of  this  region  were  found  to  be  well 
adapted  to  this  new  pursuit. 

In  Winfield  Township,  also,  additions  were  made 
to  the  inhabitants.  The  large  Patten  family  came  July 
4,  1853;  the  Tarr  families  about  the  same  year.  The 
Wise,  Hixon,  and  Sanders  families  came  a  few  years 
earlier.  James  Cooper  came  in  1852,  when  soldier  land 
warrants  could  be  bought  in  the  State  of  New  York  at  the 
rate  of  fifty  dollars  for  an  eighty-acre  warrant.  Govern- 
ment land  in  this  township  could  be  found  until  about 
1854. 

New  men  appear  also,  entering  into  business  and  pro- 
fessional life,  at  Crown  Point.  James  H.  Luther,  who 
came  in  1849,  was  occupied  during  these  years  in  hotel- 
keeping,  merchandising,  and  farming,  until  in  i860  he 
was  elected  county  auditor. 

Zerah  F.  Summers  became  a  resident  in  1854,  was 
elected  county  clerk  in  1859,  and  has  since  become  a 
grain  buyer  and  leading  business  man. 

Dr.  A.  J.  Pratt,  from  Michigan,  went  into  partnership 
with  Dr.  Farrington  in  1854,  and  after  the  death  of  the 
latter,  entered  upon  an  extensive  practice,  rapidly  gaining 


I04  LAKE    COUNTY. 

property  and  position.  Dr.  John  Higgins,  who  graduated 
at  a  medical  college  in  1846,  and  had  already  located  in 
Crown  Point,  was  now  pressing  onward  along  the  road  to 
success.  Dr.  Brownell,  from  the  state  of  New  York, 
located  in  town  in  1854.  In  1856,  still  continuing  to 
practice  medicine,  he  removed  to  a  farm  not  far  from 
Plum  Grove. 

In  1852  was  formed  the  firm  of  Turner  &  Cramer; 
David  Turner  being  the  son  of  an  old  resident  in  Porter 
and  Lake,  and  E.  M.  Cramer  being  a  new  man  in  the 
county,  having  moved  from  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
living  for  a  short  time  on  a  farm  at  South  East  Grove. 
This  firm  did,  for  these  years,  a  large  business,  but  was 
dissolved  before  this  decade  closed,  E.  M.  Cramer  enter- 
ing into  public  and  political  life  and  becoming  one  of  the 
most  popular  men  in  the  county,  holding  for  two  terms 
the  office  of  county  treasurer. 

In  1854  Frederick  Foster,  with  his  large  family  of  four 
sons  and  four  daughters  and  a  son-in-law,  removing  from 
Pennsylvania,  became  a  resident  on  a  part  of  what  is  now 
Railroad  Addition,  purchasing  his  farm  for  fifteen  dollars 
an  acre.  In  the  same  year  came  Wm.  Blowers  and  family ; 
and  in  February,  1855,  the  Sears  family  arrived  at  Crown 
Point. 

Other  improvements  of  this  period  and  names  of  fam- 
ilies becoming  residents  will  be  found  in  the  more  par- 
ticular notice  of  Crown  Point. 

Into  all  parts  of  the  county  some  new  men  came,  Ger- 
mans from  the  Old  World  and  Americans  from  the  East, 
mature  men  seeking  fields  for  enterprise,  and  young  fam- 
ilies commencing  life  seeking  for  homes  where  they  might 


NEW    GROWTH.  I05 

grow  up  with  the  growth  of  the  new  region.  This  was 
the  period  of  our  most  rapid  increase  in  population,  as 
will  be  shown  by  the  figures  from  the  census  reports.  I 
am  not  able  to  name  even  each  prominent  man  that  be- 
came during  these  ten  years  a  citizen ;  much  more  will  it 
be  impossible  for  me  to  name  them  all. 

The  railroads,  the  business  men,  the  capital,  the  new 
forms  of  industry,  mark  this  as  emphatically  a  period  of 

NEW  GROWTH. 

There  is  a  transaction  belonging  to  the  history  of  this 
county,  in  common  with  that  of  other  counties  in  Indiana, 
which  an  impartial  and  faithful  historian  can  hardly  pass 
over  in  silence.  It  belongs  to  this  decade  and  may  be 
called  the  Swamp  Land  Speculation.  The  kind  of  notice 
which  justice  here  demands  has  been  a  matter  of  grave 
consideration. 

The  United  States  donated  to  the  State  of  Indiana 
certain  portions  of  government  lands  within  its  borders, 
to  be  selected  in  a  certain  way,  which  took  the  name  of 
Swamp  Lands.  The  Legislature  passed  an  act,  in  May, 
1852,  to  regulate  the  sale  of  these  lands  and  provide  for 
draining  and  reclaiming  them  according  to  the  condition 
of  the  grant. 

Quite  a  quantity  of  land  remained  unentered  ten  years 
after  the  land  sale  at  La  Porte.  This  was  taken  out  of 
market  in  the  different  counties  until  the  lands  had  been 
selected  which  were  to  be  drained,  reclaimed,  and  sold. 
There  were  selected  in  this  county  as  such  swamp  land 
some  180  sections.  This,  at  the  minimum  price  of  one 
dollar  and  a  quarter  an  acre,  would  amount  to  $144,000. 
Any  portion  of  this  amount   not   used  in   the  necessary 


Io6  LAKE    COUNTY. 

expenses  connected  with  draining  these  wet  lands  was  to 
become  part  of  the  common  school  fund  of  the  State. 
The  county  auditors  and  treasurers  were  the  authorized 
agents  on  the  part  of  the  State  for  selling  these  lands. 
A  commissioner  of  swamp  lands  for  each  county 
was  appointed  by  the  governor,  and  the  commissioner 
appointed  and  employed  an  engineer. 

It  became  known  to  the  Legislature  of  the  State  that 
the  funds  arising  from  the  sale  of  these  lands  were  sup- 
posed to  be  improperly  used,  and  they  appointed  a 
swamp  land  committee  of  investigation.  From  the 
printed  report  of  this  committee,  made  to  the  governor 
of  Indiana,  two  thousand  copies  of  which  were  ordered 
to  be  printed,  the  following  ^statements  and  extracts  are 
taken.  Copies  of  this  report  are  scarce  in  this  county. 
Those  sent  here  disappeared. 
This  committee,  after  making  several  statements,  say  : 
"  The  different  laws  in  relation  to  the  expenditure  of 
the  swamp  land  fund  are  very  imperfect,  giving  many 
opportunities  for  dishonest  men  to  prey  upon  the  fund 
with  impunity — these  opportunities  seem  to  have  been 
well  improved."  After  stating  some  of  these  imperfec- 
tions they  continue,  "  It  seems  that  an  opportunity  to 
speculate  thus  opened  was  early  discovered  by  a  number 
of  very  prominent  men,  and  large  combinations  formed 
to  effect  that  object,  and  when  a  swamp  land  commis- 
sioner refused  to  be  used  as  an  instrument  in  their  hands 
to  carry  out  their  views,  they  were  potent  in  affecting  his 
removal  and  in  securing  the  appointment  of  one  who 
would  act  in  accordance  with  their  wishes."  Non-politi- 
cal readers  might  well  exclaim,  after  hearing  these  state- 


NEW    GROWTH.  I07 

ments,  What  sort  of  legislators  were  these  to  frame  laws 
that  offered  such  temptations  !  And  what  sort  of  an  ex- 
ecutive that  thus  allowed  removals  and  made  appoint- 
ments !  The  committee  continued,  "  By  this  process,  the 
fund  in  many  of  the  counties  *  *  *  -was  exhausted, 
and  in  some  cases  largely  overdrawn,  and  very  little  good 
effected  by  ditching."  The  committee  visited  several 
counties  to  ascertain  facts.  In  reference  to  one  county, 
especially,  they  say  :  "  These  investigations  show  frauds 
to  an  extent  that  seems  to  preclude  the  idea  that  honesty 
had  any  part  in  these  transactions."  Under  "Lake 
county,"  they  say  :  "  The  operations  in  this  county  have 
been  quite  extensive.  The  first  commissioner  appointed 
was  S.  P.  Smith.  There  is  no  evidence  to  raise  a  doubt 
as  to  the  correctness  of  his  administration."  The  S. 
here  is  evidently  a  misprint  for  J.,  as  the  proper  name  of 
the  treasurer  is  evidently  also  a  misprint.  In  regard  to 
the  third  commissioner,  Henry  Wells,  they  say :  "  No 
evidence  was  obtained  to  implicate  him  in  any  improper 
transaction."  In  regard  to  the  fourth  they  say:  "Under 
his  administration  the  committee  think  extensive  frauds 
were  perpetrated."  In  regard  to  one  individual  th.ey  say  : 
"These  two  sums  thus  obtained,  amounting  to  seven 
thousand  three  hundred  and  nine  dollars  and  sixty-five 
cents  can  undoubtedly  be  recieved  *  *  *  jf  prop- 
erly prosecuted.  *  *  How  many  similar  transactions 
were  had  with  other  parties,  is  not  known.  It  is  under- 
stood that  all  the  money  recovered  for  swamp  lands  was 
retained  in  the  hands  of  the  county  treasurer,  and  not 
paid  over  to  the  State  treasurer.     *     *     *." 

An  example  may  be  presented  of  the  class  of  transac- 


Io8  LAKE    COUNTY. 

tions  referred  to  above,  a  few  statements  being  given  to 
make  its  features  intelligible. 

"  The  commissioner  and  engineer  were  recjuired  to 
locate  and  lay  out  ditches,  to  make  contracts,  &c.  The 
engineer  was  not  required  by  law  to  keep  a  record  of  his 
estimates,  nor  to  make  certificates  of  estimates  from  which 
the  commissioner  should  issue  ditching  certificates.  Hence 
there  was  no  check  kept  by  the  engineer  upon  the  arrears 
of  those  ditching  certificates  issued  by  the  commissioner. 
Nor  does  the  law  require  the  commissioner  to  keep  a 
record  of  the  ditching  certificates  issued  by  him,  and  the 
committee  were  unable  to  find  in  any  case  a  record  of 
those  certificates." 

The  example  selected  presents  a  case  that  may  now  be 
readily  understood.  A  contractor  assigned  a  blank  ditch- 
ing certificate  to  another  person  who  filled  it  up,  or  had 
it  filled,  "in  the  sum  of  two  thousand,  six  hundred  and 
nine  dollars  and  sixty-five  cents,"  and  obtained  and  re- 
tained the  money,  other  certificates  being  issued  to  the 
contractor  for  all  the  work  he  had  done ;  thus,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  committee,  "  fraudently  taking  from  the 
Swamp  Land  Fund  the  sum  of  two  thousand,  six  hundred 
and  nine  dollars  and  sixty-five  cents." 

The  committee  even  found  certificates  with  forged  sig- 
natures on  which  money  was  drawn.  Also  they  found 
certificates  issued  and  money  paid  when  no  work  had 
been  done.  They  say  in  regard  to  two  individuals,  whom 
they  name,  that  they  believe  "  from  the  written  testimony 
and  testimony  not  recorded  *  *  *  a  judgment 
could  now  be  obtained  *  *  *  *  for  a  sum  not  less 
than  twenty  thousand  dollars,      *      *      *."     The  whole 


NEW    GROWTH.  IO9 

amount  of  money  taken  away  from  this  fund,  the  commit- 
tee had  no  means  at  hand,  in  this  county,  for  summing 
up.  The  difference  between  the  amount  actually  paid 
for  work  done  and  the  whole  amount  for  which  these 
lands  sold  would  probably  be  that  sum. 

I  have  given  no  names  of  those  implicated  by  that 
committee  in  this  transaction.  Some,  if  not  all  of  them, 
are  still  residents  of  this  county,  and  I  see  no  good  to  be 
accomplished  by  transmitting  their  names  to  posterity  in 
this  connection.  The  names  of  two  commissioners,  J. 
P.  Smith  and  Henry  Wells,  two  of  the  early  settlers,  it  is 
a  pleasure  to  me  to  be  able  to  record  as  untarnished  in 
respect  to  the  Swamp  Land  speculations. 

The  lessons  for  the  present  and  the  future  are  obvious. 
Send  both  capable  and  honest  men  to  the  Legislature. 
Elect  to  office  and  secure  for  official  appointments  men 
of  sterling  integrity.  And  there  is  an  old  petition  of 
which  we  might  all  do  well  to  make  more  frequent  use ; 
"Lead  us  not  into  temptation."  The  citizens  of  the 
county  in  the  present  have  doubtless  the  right,  the 
official  report  of  the  Investigating  Committee  being 
authority,  to  hold  some  of  their  public  men  responsible 
for  pocketing  a  large  amount  of  money.  And  the  citi- 
zens of  the  future  will  have  the  right  to  feel  that  incom- 
petent or  unfaithful  legislators  placed  temptations  before 
men  in  public  life  which  resulted  in  defrauding  the 
county  of  valuable  drainage  probably  up  to  the  amount 
of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

Those  conversant  with  the  facts  will  sustain  the  asser- 
tion that  (|uite  probably  $100,000,  during  tliose  few  years 
of  fraudulent  or  sueculative  management,  ])assed  into 
10 


no  LAKE    COUNTY. 

the  pockets  of  a  few  of  our  public  men.  And  the  amount 
which  beyond  question  passed  into  the  hands  of  corrupt 
officials  in  high  position  at  Indianapolis  was  by  no  means 
small.  How  large  there  is  no  data  here  on  which  to  base 
a  conjecture.  Let  it  be  repeated  that,  of  this  transac- 
tion, the  lessons  are  obvious. 

The  grant  of  lands  to  the  Wabash  Canal  has  been 
already  mentioned.  The  entries  of  the  land  seem  to 
have  extended  from  1843  to  1856,  the  certificate  of 
"lands  sold  in  Lake  county  at  the  Canal  Land  Office," 
at  Terre  Haute,  being  dated  February,  1857. 

The  amount  certified  to  as  having  been  thus  sold  is 
some  sixty  sections.  It  thus  appears  that  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  square  miles  or  sections,  one  half  the 
area  of  the  county,  were  donated  by  the  United  States 
Governmelht  for  the  purpose  of  internal  improvements 
in  Indiana.  If  thus  liberal  in  other  counties  and  in 
other  States,  quite  an  amount  of  the  public  fund  would' 
be  definitely  appropriated.  Whether  it  be  wise  in  gen- 
eral to  make  such  disposition  of  the  p\iblic  domain,  is  a 
question  for  political  economists  and  statesmen. 


OUR    WAR    RECORD. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OUR    WAR    RECORD    AND    PROGRESS.        1 86o J869. 

"  Higher,  higher,  let  us  climb, 

Up  the  mount  of  glory  ; 
That  our  names  may  live  through  time, 

In  our  country's  story  : 
Happy,  when  her  wehvare  calls. 
He  who  conquers,  he  who  falls." 

Amid  the  political  changes  and  excitements  which 
marked  in  this  land  the  sixth  decade  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  this  county,  formerly  Democratic,  became 
strongly  Republican,  giving  year  by  year  those  decided 
majorities  which  secured  to  Schuyler  Colfax  the  repre- 
sentative of  this  district,  his  seat  in  Congress,  and  enter- 
ing heartily,  in  i860,  into  the  campaign  which  resulted 
in  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  When,  therefore, 
that  shot  was  fired,  at  twenty  minutes  past  four  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  April  12,  1 861,  against  the  granite  wall 
of  Fort  Sumter,  which  inaugurated  the  great  Civil  War 
in  America;  and  when  the  tidings  was  flashed  along  the 
wires  that  Fort  Sumpter  had  actually  surrendered  to  the 
rebels,  and  that,  on  the  historic  19th  of  April,  blood  was 
shed  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore;  and  when  the  Presi- 
dent's call  for  volunteers  was  heard ;  it  was  to  be  expected 
that  the  loyal  citizens  of  Lake  would  thrill  in  that  in- 
tense wave  of  excitement   that   poured   over   the  North, 


112  LAKE    COUNTY. 

and  press  forward  at  once  for  marching  orders,  that  they 
might  hasten  to  the  scene  of  conflict. 

The  entire  population  of  the  county  in  i860  was  9,145. 
The  number  of  families  was  about  1,800.  So  many  of 
our  young  men  went  into  Illinois  regiments  that  the 
whole  number  of  our  citizens  enlisting  cannot  be  deter- 
mined. So  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  as  many  as  one 
thousand  men  from  these  eighteen  hundred  families 
entered  the  Union  army. 

They  were  thus  distributed  :  In  the  Ninth  Indiana 
regiment,  called,  from  the  severe  battles  through  which 
it  passed  and  its  own  war  record,  "the  Bloody  Ninth," 
were  about  seventy. 

In  the  Twentieth  Regiment  were  one  hundred.  Com- 
pany B. 

In  the  Seventy-third,  one  hundred.  Company  A. 

In  the  Ninety-ninth,  one  hundred.  Company  A. 

In  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth,  twenty. 

In  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first,  eighty. 

In  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth,  about  twenty. 

In  the  Fifth  Cavalry  were  about  twenty-five. 

In  the  Seventh,  perhaps  thirty. 

In  the  Twelfth  Cavalry,  Edward  Anderson,  Colonel, 
we  were  represented  by  Company  G. 

There  were  also  some  thirty  in  one  Indiana  battery, 
and  several  in  other  batteries.  Some  of  our  young  men 
enlisted  in  the  regiments  of  other  States,  about  three 
hundred  enlisting  in  the  State  of  Illinois. 

The  Indiana  regiments  acquired  an  honorable  repu- 
tation on  the  field  of  battle,  and  their  record  belongs  to 
the  historic  records  of  thi  State  and  of  I'le  Union. 


OUR    WAR    RECORD.  II3 

The  Ninth  and  the  Twentieth  gained  special  distinc- 
tion on  the  various  bloody  fields  where  their  flags  waved 
in  triumph.  The  Ninth  was  in  battle  at  Shiloh,  Perry- 
ville,  Danville,  Wild  Cat  Mountain,  Chickamauga,  Look- 
out Mountain,  and  Mission  Ridge.  It  was  also  at  Atlanta 
and  in  various  connected  engagements,  and  in  the  battles 
at  Columbia  and  at  Nashville. 

The  Twentieth  went  to  Hatteras  Inlet,  to  Fortress 
Monroe,  aided  in  the  capture  of  Norfolk,  and  joined  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  Its  various  fortunes  and  con- 
flicts as  a  part  of  this  great  army  need  not  here  be 
detailed.  It  finally  reached  Gettysburg,  July  2,  1863, 
where,  says  Venable,  "  the  greatest  and  most  important 
battle  of  the  whole  war  was  fought."  He  adds,  "The 
fury  of  the  third  day's  engagement  is  indescribable. 
Whole  brigades  were  almost  utterly  destroyed.  The 
slope  of  Cemetery  Hill,  upon  which  the  hardest  struggle 
occurred,  was  literally  heaped  with  the  slain."  Here  the 
Twentieth,  says  our  Adjutant  General,  "lost  its  com- 
manding officer.  Col.  John  Wheeler,  and  152  men  and 
officers  killed  and  wounded."  Among  those  killed  were 
besides  Col.  Wheeler  of  Crown  Point,  two  others  of  our 
soldier  boys,  George  W.  F.dgerton  and  J.  Richmond. 
The  regiment  was  afterwards  at  New  York  City  on  guard 
duty,  and  then  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  and  at 
other  noted  engagements. 

The  Seventy-third  Regiment  was  engaged  in  Kentucky, 
Tennessee  and  Alabama,  in  various  battles,  losing  their 
commanding  officer,  Col.  Gilbert  Hathaway,  formerly  a 
lawyer  at  our  bar,  at  Blount's  farm,  Alabama,  and  were 
on  the  next  day,  May  3,  1863,  all  captured  at  Cedar  Bluffs. 


114  LAKE    COUNTY. 

The  men  were  soon  exchanged,  but  the  officers  were  kept 
in  a  long  imprisonment. 

As  an  illustration  of  what  our  imprisoned  officers  ex- 
perienced, I  give  the  narrative  of  Captain  Alfred  Fry,  of 
the  Seventy-Third  :* 

NARRATIVE. 

Alfred  Fry  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier  July  26,  1862. 
and  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  U.  S.  at  South 
Bend,  August  16,  as  Orderly  Sergeant  of  Company  A, 
Seventy-third  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteers.  Pro- 
ceeded to  Lexington,  via  Louisville,  Sept.  ist,  was  com- 
missioned Second  Lieutenant  of  Company  A.  The 
defeat  of  the  Union  forces  at  Richmond,  Kentucky, 
obliged  the  regiment  to  leave  Lexington  and  retire  to 
Louisville,  where  he  was  ordered  to  report  at  the  head- 
quarters of  Gen.  Ward  for  duty  as  Brigade  Commissary, 
which  position  he  held  until  the  reorganization  of  the 
army  under  Gen.  Buell.  On  the  first  of  October  the 
regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Twentieth  Brigade,  Sixth 
Division  of  Buell's  Army,  and  commenced  the  pursuit  of 
Bragg.     Entered  Nashville  Nov.  26. 

Dec.  2,  1862,  he  was  commissioned  as  First  Lieuten- 
ant, and  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Stone  River.  Was 
under  fire  for  six  days.  Lost  here  Edward  Welch,  of 
Winfield  Township,  the  first  man  killed  in  the  regiment. 

On  the  19th  of  Jan.,  '6;^,  Lieut.  Fry  was  recommended 
by  Col.  Hathaway  to  Gov.  Morton,  and  was  commissioned 
as  captain  of  Company  A.     April  10,  '6;^,  the  regiment 

♦Note. — I  have  changed  the  form  of  the  narrative  furnished  to  me,  from  the  first 
to  the  third  person,  and  have  made  slight  alterations  in  some  expressions  ;  but  the 
substance  remains  the  same.  As  the  account  of  a  well-known  citizen  who  had  a  per- 
sonal experience  of  the  horrors  of  Libby  Prison,  I  have  felt  it  proper  to  place  it  ou 
permanent  record. 


OUR    WAR    RECORD.  I  15 

-was  assigned  to  Col.  Straight's  brigade.  April  30  this 
brigade,  only  1500  strong,  was  attacked  by  4000  rebels 
tinder  Gens.  Forrest  and  Roddy,  while  on  its  march  to 
perform  duty.  The  enemy  were  repulsed  and  the  brig- 
ade pushed  on.  Were  attacked  again  in  the  evening  at 
Crooked  Creek.  May  2d,  again  attacked  at  Blount's 
farm,  Alabama.  The  73d  bore  the  brunt  of  this  fight, 
and  here  the  gallant  Col.  Hathaway  fell,  mortally 
wounded,  while  at  the  head  of  the  troops  and  cheering 
•on  his  men. 

May  3d,  being  out  of  ammunition,  exhausted  by  five 
days  incessant  marching  and  skirmishing,  and  surrounded 
by  superior  forces,  the  brigade  surrendered  on  most  hon- 
orable conditions,  which  were  afterwards  basely  violated. 
The  men  were  soon  forwarded  north  and  exchanged. 
The  officers  were  kept  in  close  confinement  nearly  two 
years.  When  they  surrendered  they  were  to  be  paroled 
and  sent  through  our  lines,  but  they  were  sent  to  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  and  then  on  the  i6th  of  May  they  entered 
the  famous  Libby  Prison.  Their  paroles  had  been  taken 
from  them,  and  they  had  been  told  that  they  were  not 
recognized  as  belonging  to  the  army,  but  were  highway 
robbers,  bridge  burners,  negro  stealers,  and  that  they 
would  be  turned  over  to  the  civil  authorities  of  Alabama, 
and  be  tried  and  hung.  On  their  arrival  at  Libby  they 
were  searched,  their  greenbacks  taken  away  and  likewise 
their  blankets,  and  up  three  flights  of  stairs  they  were 
placed  in  a  room  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  by 
fifty.  Here  Captain  Fry  found  a  rusty  tin  plate  and  a 
rheumatic  knife  and  fork  as  instruments  for  house-keep- 
ing, and  prepared   little    sacks  for    holding    salt,  sugar, 


Il6  LAKE    COUNTY. 

pepper,  and  rice.  These  were  not  very  well  filled.  The 
rations  were  three-fourths  of  a  pound  of  coarse  corn 
bread,  one  gill  of  rice,  half  a  pound  of  beef,  and  a  very 
little  salt. 

The  vermin  were  the  most  revolting  feature  of  the 
prison.  No  amount  of  personal  cleanliness  could  guard 
against  the  insatia:te  lice,  and  only  by  examining  their 
clothing  and  destroying  them  once  or  twice  a  day  could 
these  hideous  creatures  be  kept  from  swarming  on  the 
persons  of  the  prisoners.  For  other  occupation  during 
the  long  evenings  the  prisoners  would  sing  the  Star 
Spangled  Banner,  Old  Hundaed,  and  Old  John  Brown. 
In  this  dreary  abode  Captain  Fry  remained  a  year,  leav- 
ing Libby,  in  company  with  others,  May  7,  '64,  for  Dan- 
ville. May  12th  they  left  Danville.  Arrived  May  17th 
at  Macon,  Georgia,  and  were  marched  into  the  prison- 
pen,  an  area  of  some  two  acres,  surrounded  by  a  stock- 
ade fence  fifteen  feet  high.  July  27th  were  transferred 
to  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  placed  in  the  jail- 
yard  under  fire  of  the  Union  guns  on  Morris'  Island. 
Here  the  ground  was  literally  covered  with  vermin.  The 
prisoners  were  without  shelter.  They  were  brought 
there  to  save  the  city  from  the  shells  of  the  Union  bat- 
teries. October  5th  they  were  sent  to  Columbia,  and 
arrived  in  the  midst  of  a  terrific  rain  storm.  The  pris- 
oners were  compelled  to  leave  the  cars  and  to  pass  the 
night  in  an  open  field,  without  food,  blankets,  tents,  at 
the  mercy  of  the  elements,  and  four  pieces  of  artillery 
trained  upon  the  ground  they  occupied.  When  the 
storm  ceased  they  were  removed  two  miles  to  another 
open  field,  and  here,  without  even  the  shelter  of  a  tree  or 


OUR    WAR    RECORD.  II7 

bush,  endured  the  scorching  sunshine  that  followed  the 
storm.  The  rations  here,  to  last  five  days,  were  five 
quarts  of  very  coarse  corn  meal,  one  quart  of  sorghum, 
two  tablespoonfuls  of  coarse  salt,  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
rice. 

A  wild  hog  chanced  to  pass  the  guard  line.  As  soon 
as  he  had  fairly  entered,  a  general  advance  was  made, 
and  he  was  captured.  One  seized  a  leg,  another  an  ear, 
others  twisted  their  bony  fingers  into  the  bristles  and 
closed  hands,  eyes,  and  teeth,  as  if  for  a  death  struggle. 
Every  man  clung  to  the  part  he  first  seized  until  it  was 
cut  off  and  securely  lodged  in  the  kettle  for  supper. 
Between  four  and  five  hundred  half-starved  men  were 
soon  devouring  him.  This  stray  hog  furnished  the  only 
meat  tasted  at  Columbia,  and  for  this  no  thanks  were 
returned  to  the  rebels. 

February  i4lh,  1865,  they  were  removed  to  Charlotte, 
were  paroled,  sent  to  Wilmington,  and  there,  March  ist,. 
entered  once  more  the  Union  lines.  Captain  Fry 
returned  to  Crown  Point  and  remained  with  his  family 
from  March  13th  till  April  14th,  when  he  reported 
for  duty  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  remained  here  a  month,  was 
exchanged,  and  returned  to  his  company  at  Larkinsville, 
Alabama,  and  on  the  4th  of  July,  1865,  arrived  at  Indian- 
apolis, where  the  regiment  was  finally  discharged,  offi- 
cers and  men   returning  to  their  homes. 


The  Twelfth  Cavalry  consisted  of  twelve  companies, 
six  only  mounted,  recruited  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1863, 
eight  being  rendezvoused  at  Michigan  City  and  four  at 
Kendallville.  The  regimental  organization  was  completed 


Il8  LAKE    COUNTY. 

at  Kendallville,  and  in  May,  1864,  the  regiment  left  that 
place  and  preceded  to  Nashville.  Remaining  in  a  camp 
of  instruction  about  three  weeks,  the  regiment  left  for 
Huntsville  May  29.  Here,  and  over  quite  a  territory, 
they  performed  guard  duty,  and  were  engaged  in  fight- 
ing guerrillas  and  "  bushwackers,"  a  large  number  of  the 
regiment  being  killed  or  wounded  in  these  engagements 
and  skirmishes.  After  remaining  about  a  month  at 
Huntsville,  the  headquarters  were  removed  to  Browns- 
borough,  where  they  remained  until  the  15th  of  Septem- 
ber, when  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Tallahassee.  Here 
they  watched  the  movements  of  the  rebel  General  For- 
rest and  had  several  skirmishes  with  bands  of  his  men 
and  with  guerrillas.  On  the  26th  of  November  they 
proceeded  to  Murfreesboro  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Wilkinson's  Pike  and  Overall's  Creek,  and  in  December 
went  into  winter  quarters  at  Nashville.  February  11, 
1865,  the  regiment  started  for  New  Orleans,  stopped  at 
Vicksburg,  and  reached  New  Orleans  March  12.  They 
proceeded  to  Mobile  Bay,  found  occupation  there  and  in 
Florida,  and  after  the  fall  of  Mobile,  reporting  to  Major 
General  Grierson,  April  17th,  they  took  part  in  a  raid  of 
over  eight  hundred  miles  into  Georgia,  and  across  Ala- 
bama to  Columbus,  Mississippi,  arriving  there  May  20. 
Making  some  other  changes,  doing  guard  duty,  protect- 
ing government  cotton,  and  other  property,  the  regiment 
was  mustered  out  of  the  service  at  Vicksburg,  Novem- 
ber 10,  1865,  and  returned  to  Indiana.  It  was*paid  off 
and  its  members  discharged  November  22. 

"  The  regiment  was  highly  and  specially  complimented 
by    Major  General    Grierson,    in    a    letter  to    Governor 


OUR    WAR    RECORD.  II9 

Morton,  for  its  gallant  conduct  and  military  discipline." 
Vol.  III.,  page  268,  Adjutant  General's  Report. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  one 
of  the  officers  of  Company  G,  to  his  father,  who  then 
resided  in  Hanover  township,  and  was  taking  an  active 
interest  in  the  events  and  issues  of  the  war.  It  bears 
date  June  ii,  1865. 

Camp  near  Columbus,  Miss.  "  I  see  i\\Q  Register  thinks 
the  Twelfth  has  not  amounted  to  much  in  the  service. 
I  wont  say  how  that  may  be,  but  we  have  certainly  been 
on  duty  enough.  Commanders  of  posts  and  brigades 
with  which  we  have  been  connected  have  certainly  called 
on  us  enough.  Last  summer  the  men  were  often  on  duty 
•every  other  twenty-four  hours  for  weeks  at  a  time,  and 
men  have  often  been  obliged  to  stand  guard  for  three  or 
four  days  at  a  time.  People  at  a  distance,  or  those  who 
have  to  depend  on  talk  for  their  information,  seldom  get 
it  very  correct.  I  suppose  the  Twelfth  is  as  well  disci- 
plined as  the  average  of  cavalry  regiments.  Col.  Karge, 
Second  New  Jersey,  who  has  commanded  different  bri- 
_gades  ever  since  the  war  commenced,  said  that  the 
Twelfth  Indiana  was  the  best  regiment  he  ever  com- 
manded. So  also  said  a  steamboat  captain,  that  the 
Twelfth  had  the  finest,  most  gentlemanly  officers  and  men 
of  any  regiment  he  ever  saw.  This  is  rather  more  praise 
than  we  deserve,  but  then  the  men  are  what  their  sur- 
roundings make  them,  and  if  we  had  been  sent  out  on  a 
campaign  at  first  we  might  have  won  a  different  name. 
In  short,  I  don't  believe  we  are  any  l)etter  or  worse  than 
.any  one  else." 

That  the  Twelfth  Cavalry  gained  no  distinguished  war 


I20  LAKE    COUNTY. 

honors  is  doubtless  true ;  but  having  no  opportunity  to 
engage  in  any  noted  battle,  it  is  not  just  to  infer  that  its 
arduous  services  were  useless,  or  that  its  officers  and  men 
would  not  have  borne  themselves  gallantly  in  fight. 

Hanover  township  lost,  out  of  Company  G,  two  of  its 
promising  and  energetic  young  men,  sons  and  brothers 
whom  their  families  knew  not  how  to  give  up,  Charles 
Ball,  2d  Lieutenant,  and  Stillman  A.  Robbins;  and 
Tinkonville  lost  one  of  its  leading  citizens,  the  son  of  an 
old  settler.  Miles  F.  McCarty. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter,  written  by  a  mem- 
ber of  the  company  to  the  author  of  this  record,  will  be 
of  interest  to  at  least  one  circle  of  relatives  and  friends; 

"  I  did  not,  in  my  former  letter,  say  anything  about 
Franklin  McCarty's  death.  He  died  the  day  after  I  got 
to  Nashville  " — May  27,  1864 — "  but  I  did  not  know  he 
was  dangerously  ill  till  the  night  he  died.  Some  one 
told  Will  Scrietchfield  that  he  was  not  expected  to  live^ 
about  dark,  and  then  he  could  not  go.  We  were  camped^ 
by  the  way,  some  three  miles  from  Nashville.  Enlisted 
men  are  not  entitled  to  receive  the  countersign  which 
enables  them  to  pass  guards  after  dark,  but,  as  it  is  gen- 
erally known  to  me  from  my  connection  with  the  adju- 
tant, I  went  down ;  but  he  was  already  dead.  I  think  he 
never  enjoyed  himself  very  well  in  the  company,  and  felt 
that  he  was  not  placed  in  a  position  that  his  age  and  tal- 
ents warranted." 

That  he  had  reason  thus  to  feel  I  doubt  not ;  for,  hav- 
ing known  him    well   for    many  years,  I  am  sure  he  had 
capabilities    which    favorable  circumstances  would  have, 
rapidly    developed.     As  he  was  one  of  a  circle  of  boys 


OUR    WAR    RECORD.  121 

living  around  Cedar  Lake,  in  the  early  da\*s,  so  many  of 
whom  are  dead  or  scattered  now,  it  is  not  strange  that 
those  pleasant  associations  of  youth  should  make  me  lin- 
ger here  on  this  record.  And,  alas  !  he  who  wrote  those 
lines  quoted  above,  before  the  regiment  returned  to  the 
West,  permitting  its  members  to  enjoy  the  repose  and 
comforts  of  their  quiet  homes,  himself  fell  a  victim  to 
disease,  and  returned  to  Cedar  Lake  to  die,  where  his 
hopes  of  life  had  so  brightly  budded. 

While  some  fell,  and  some  must  ever  fall — well  has 
one  said,  "  There  is  seldom  a  line  of  glory  written  upon 
earth's  surface,  but  a  line  of  suffering  runs  parallel  with 
it  ;  and  he  who  reads  the  lustrous  syllables  of  the  one 
and  stoops  not  to  decipher  the  worn,  and  dimmed,  and 
tear-stained  inscriptions  of  the  other,  gets  the  least  half 
of  what  even  earth  has  to  give;" — while  some  fell  and 
were  wept  for  in  secret,  others  returned  home  with  the 
scars  of  war,  sharers  in  the  glory  of  a  just  success,  and 
are  now  filling  positions  of  profit  and  honor.  Three  re- 
turned soldiers  are  this  year  candidates  for  three  of  our 
highest  offices,  John  Brown,  for  Treasurer;  John  Donch, 
for  Sheriff,  and  John  M.  Dwyer,  for  Recorder.  Others 
are  leading  business  men  in  our  towns,  and  others  still 
are  the  owners  and  the  tillers  of  the  soil.  But  let  us  re- 
turn to  the  decade  of  the  war. 

The  pulpits  of  Crown  Point,  as  elsewhere  in  the  West, 
patriotic  but  not  political,  were  thoroughly  on  the  side 
of  the  Union.  Services  were  held  from  time  to  time  ap- 
propriate to  the  several  occasions  of  joy  and  sorrow,  of 
hopes  and  of  fears ;  fasts  and  thanksgivings  were  ob- 
served ;  and  earnest  words  ol   reliL.nous  teaching  and  pat- 


122  LAKE    COUNTY. 

riotic  feeling'were  uttered.  After  the  fall  of  Vicksburg, 
and  the  capture  of  Fortress  Monroe,  in  i86.^,  the  Presi- 
dent recommended  the  observance  of  a  day  of  Thanks- 
giving. The  following  hymn,  written  by  one  of  the 
pastors  in  town,  was  sung  at  Crown  Point,  during  the 
services  of  that  day,  September  ii,  1863: 

THANKSGIVING    HYMN. 

God  of  our  fathers,  now  to  thee, 

Our  grateful  homage  we  would  pay  ; 

Thou  leadest  on  the  bond,  the  free  ; 
Help  us  to  praise  thy  might  to-day. 

Thou  lovest  right,  thou  hatest  wrong  ; 

By  thee  the  bondmen's  chains  are  riven  ; 
Beleagured  town  and  fortress  strong, 

Into  our  hands  by  thee  are  given. 

For  this  we  praise  thy  matchless  power. 

For  this  we  lift  our  hearts  to  thee  ; 
In  each  exultant,  joyous  hour. 

Do  thou  our  God  and  Fortress  he. 

We  recognize  thy  powerful  hand  ; 

We  bow  before  thy  holy  might  ; 
Oh  be  thou  gracious  to  our  land, 

Oh  bring  us  forth  to  noon-tide  light. 

When  at  length  the  war  cloud  passed,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1865  the  rebel  armies  surrendered,  the  bronzed 
and  war-worn  veterans  hastened  back  to  their  peaceful 
homes.  But  many  a  mother's  eyes  were  dim  with  tears, 
the  hearts  of  many  a  wife  and  maiden  throbbed  with  an- 
guish, as  the  "  boys  in  blue  "  returned  ;  for  their  own 
sons,  and  husbands,  and  brothers,  had  given  their  lives 
to  maintain  our  national  existence.     Nobly  did  many  of 


OUR    WAR    RECORD. 


123 


the  families  of  Lake  resign  their  loved  ones  to  the  grand- 
ness  of  the  cause  that  had  called  them  forth  to  dare,  and 
do,  and  die  ;  but  they  nevertheless  felt  that  some  of  their 
choicest  treasures  had  perished  in  the  terrible  conflict. 

Of  our  one  thousand  men,  how  many  fell  on  the  red 
fields  of  blood,  and  died  in  camp  and  hospital,  cannot 
now  be  ascertained.  The  names  of  some  who  perilled 
life  for  their  country's  welfare,  and  lost  their  lives  on  ac- 
count of  the  Great  Rebellion,  are  here  recorded.  There 
is  an  old  saying  :  Duke  et  decorum  est  pro patria  fuori, 
"It  is  pleasant  and  noble  to  die  for  one's  country." 
In  behalf  of  each  one  of  these,  his  friends  may  say, — To 
perpetuate  this  Union  of  States  he  died. 

From  the  Roll  of  Honor,  of  Indiana  Volunteers,  as 
found  in  Vol.  VIII,  of  the  Adjutant  General's  Report,, 
the  following  list  is  made  out  : 


TWELFTH  CAVALRY 
Names. 
Charles  Ball, 
Henry  Brockman, 
Charls  Crothers, 
Sidney  \V.  Chapman, 
Jacob  Deeter. 


R.  L.  Fuller, 
Ephraim  E.  Goff, 
Wm.  Harland, 
M.   Hoopendall, 
Fred.  Kahle, 
F.  S.  Miller, 
Albert  Moore, 
M.  F.  McCarty, 
A.  McMillen, 
Wm.   M.  Pringle, 


Where  Dying. 

At  home, 

New  Orleans, 

Kendallville, 

New  Orleans, 

Vicksburg, 

At  home, 

Starkville, 

Nashville, 

Huntsville, 

Kendallville, 

At  home, 

Kendallville, 

Nashville, 

Michigan  City, 

Nashville, 


COMPANY  G. 

When. 

September  12,    1865 

April  5,  1865 

March  17,  1864 

April  18,  1S65 

January  4,  1865 

October  27,  1864 

August  16,  1865 

January  8, 1865 

June  22,  1864 

April  13,  1864 


April  3,  1864 

May  27,  1864 

February  3,  1864 

November  4,  1864 


124 


LAKE    COUNTY. 


S.  A.  Robbins, 

Huntsville, 

July  i8. 

1864 

Wm.  Stubby, 

At  home. 

May  15, 

1864 

Wm.  Stinkle, 

Nashville, 

February  i. 

1865 

Ezra  Wedge, 

At  home, 

Februar)'  3, 
OMPANY  B. 

1864 

TWENTIETH 

REGIMENT— C 

Col.  John  Wheeler. 

Gettysburg, 

July  2, 

1863 

George  W.  Edgerton, 

Gettysburg, 

July  2, 

1863 

Horace  Fuller, 

Wilderness, 

May  5, 

1864 

Lawrence  Frantz, 

Spootsylvania, 

May  12, 

1864 

John  Griesell, 

David  Island, 

August  16, 

1862 

M.  Hafey, 
C.  Hazworth, 

Pittsburg, 

May  26, 

1863 

Wm.  Johnson, 

Petersburg, 

June  18, 

1864 

Albert  Kale, 

Camp  Hampton, 

Dec.  17, 

1S61 

Wm.  Mutchler, 

Camp  Smith, 

April  25 

,1862 

P.  Mutchler, 

Washington, 

July  15, 

1862 

James  Merrill, 

Wilderness, 

May  5, 

1864 

S.  Pangburn, 

Andersonville, 

November  6, 

1864 

C.  Potter, 

D.  Pinckerton, 
J.  Richmond, 

Gettysburg, 

July  2, 

1863 

John  F.  Torr, 

Washington, 

November  24, 

1862 

Isaac  Williams, 

July  5, 

1863 

Charles  Winters, 

City  Point, 

June  19, 
-boMPANY  A. 

1864 

SEVENTY-THIRD    REGIMENT- 

Lewis  Atkins; 

Nashville, 

November  22, 

1862 

Eli  Atwood, 

Nashville, 

November  29, 

1862 

John  Childers, 

Nashville, 

December  3, 

1862 

John  H.  Earley, 

Stone  River, 

December  31, 

1862 

R.  W.  Fuller, 

Indianapolis, 

August  2, 

1863 

Wm.  Frazier, 

Nashville, 

December  15, 

1S62 

J.  M.  Fuller, 

Gallatin, 

January  29, 

1863 

M.  Graves, 

Nashville, 

December  16, 

1862 

T.  W.  Loving, 

Nashville, 

Sep;  ember  30, 

1S63 

OUR    WAR    RECORD. 


125 


A.  Lamphier, 
L.  Morris, 
I.  W.  Moore, 
John  Maxwell, 
Albert  Nichols, 
James  Roney, 

C.  Van  Burg, 
M.  Vincent, 
E.  Woods, 
E.  Welch, 

S.  White, 

NINETY 

D.  F.  Sawyer, 
O.  E.  Atkins, 
D.  T.  Burnham, 
J.  Bartholomew, 
J.  D.  Clingham, 
H.  A.  Case, 
James  Foster, 
James  Horton, 
H.  H.  Raskins, 
R.  T.  Harris, 
John  Forey, 
Adam  Mock, 
N.  Newman, 

T.  C.  Pinnel, 
Corydon  Pierce, 
Albert  Robbins, 
J.  Schmidt, 
J.  Stickleman, 
A,  Vandervert, 
M.  Winand, 

It  seems  sinj 

lost  almost  the 
II 


Nashville, 

January  7, 

1863 

Nashville, 

April  30, 

1863 

Gallatin, 

December  29, 

1862 

Scottsville, 

November  g, 

1862 

Nashville, 

December  i. 

1862 

Nashville, 

February  8, 

1863 

Bowling  Green, 

December  23, 

1862 

Gallatin, 

January  8, 

1S63 

Nashville, 

November  29, 

1862 

Stone  River, 

December  31, 

1862 

Blunt's  Farm, 

May  2, 

1863 

-NINTH  REGIMENT— COMPANY  A. 

February  12,  1863 

Nickajack,  July  6,  1864 

August  21,  1864 

August  22,  1864 

July  II,  1864 

March  10,  1863 

July  22,  1S64 

July  22,  1864 

October  20,  1864 

March  11,  1S63 

September  21,  1863 

September  11,  1863 

August  4,  1863 

February  7,  1863 

April,  1863 

August  6,  1864 

July  28,  1863 

September  23,  1864 

March  19,  1863 

December  11,  1864 

have 
and 


Andersonville, 
Huntsville, 
La  Grange, 
Atlanta, 
Atlanta, 
Andersonville, 
La  Grange, 
Black  River, 
Black  River, 
Black   River, 
La  Grange, 
Washington, 

Indianapolis, 


At  home, 


;ular  that  the  fotir  companies  should 
same  number  of  men.     Company  G, 


126  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Company  B,  nineteen  each  ;  and  the  two  A  companies 
each  twenty.  Taking  twenty  per  cent,  as  the  general 
average,  our  whole  loss  would  be  two  hundred  men. 

Terrible  was  that  necessity  that  caused  throughout  the 
North  the  loss  of  so  many  young  and  valuable  lives ; 
and  that  appeal  to  arms  on  the  part  of  the  South,  for  the 
settlement  of  a  long  dispute,  must  be  held  responsible  for 
a  large  amount  of  life-blood  and  treasure.  We  may 
well  hope  that  the  whole  nation  has  been  sufficiently 
taught  not  to  kindle  again  the  flames  of  fraternal  strife. 
Multitudes  of  this  generation,  both  North  and  South,  will 
carry  with  them  to  their  graves  the  dark  shadows  which 
passed  over  their  souls,  in  those  fearful  years  of  the  life 
struggles  of  a  great  nation,  as  loved  ones  so  untimely 
fell ;  and,  of  these,  young  and  loyal  Lake  may  well  claim 
to  have  her  full  share.  Some  proper  estimate  here  ought 
to  be  placed  on  the  value  of  a  united  and  not  a  dissev- 
ered nation. 

Although  for  four  years  of  this  decade  the  absorb- 
ing interest  was  the  war,  and  the  withdrawing  of  a 
thousand  men  from  our  industrial  pursuits  was  at  times 
sorely  felt,  yet  prices  advanced  enormously,  and  all  kinds 
of  farm  products  found  a  ready  and  remunerative  sale, 
and  improvements  and  increase  of  inhabitants  still  went 
forward.  In  1861  corn  sold  for  seventeen  cents  a  bushel, 
and  a  dull  market.  Before  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1864, 
corn  sold  for  ninety  cents  a  bushel  at  Dyer  Station. 
Pork,  which  had  also  been  low,  as  well  as  all  other  agri- 
cultural productions,  advanced  to  sixteen  dollars  a  hun- 
dred weight,  and  most  other  products  in  proportion. 
"  Greenbacks  "  were  issued  by  the  Government,  boun- 


PROGRESS.  127 

ties  and  quarterly  payments  were  sent  home  by  the  sol- 
diers, and  money  became  plenty. 

Many  good  frame  buildings  were  erected  during  the- 
last  ten  years ;  but  about  i860  commenced  an  era  of  a 
far  better  class  of  buildings.  Henry  Dittmers,  whO' 
bought,  in  1859,  that  farm  on  Cedar  Lake,  where  the  Ball 
family  had  for  twenty- two  years  resided,  erected  one  of  the 
first  of  these  in  i860.  He  bought  common  lumber  in 
Chicago  for  seven  dollars  a  thousand,  and  laid  out  in  a 
house  and  barns  some  four  thousand  dollars.  His  exam- 
ple was  followed  by  many  others.  Most  of  the  best 
buildings  now  in  the  county,  and  especially  of  those  in 
the  towns  and  villages,  have  been  erected  since  i860. 

In  1865  a  new  impulse  was  given  to  Crown  Point,  and 
to  all  the  southern  portion  of  the  county,  by  the  comple- 
tion of  the  Cincinnati  Air  Line  Railroad,  known  after- 
ward as  the  Great  Eastern,  and  now  called  Pittsburg, 
Cincinnati  &  St.  Louis  Railway.  This  road,  passing 
through  Crown  Point,  started  it  at  once  into  new  life. 
Railroad  Addition  was  laid  out  and  added  to  the  town' 
a  depot  building  was  erected,  grain  houses  were  built, 
and  a  western  railroad  growth  commenced. 

In  the  same  year  (1865)  an  educational  enterprise  was 
started  which  accomplished  something  for  the  intellectual 
progress  of  the  community.  Block  No.  i  in  Rail  Road 
Addition  was  obtained,  a  building  was  soon  completed 
at  a  cost — building  and  furniture — of  some  ^5,300,  and 
in  January,  1866,  the  building  was  occupied  for  school 
purposes.  I  place  on  record  here,  as  a  memento  of  what 
it  was  designed  to  be  and  was,  its  last  advertisement,  as 
published  in  the  Castalian,  of  March,  1870. 


128  LAKE    COUNTY. 

CROWN  POINT  INSTITUTE. 


FOUNDERS 

CROWN  POINT  INSTITUTE  EDUCATIONAL  COMPANY,  ORGANIZED 

MAY  3T,  1865. 

Designed  to  furnish  Collegiate  Instruction  for  young  ladies  and  young  men,  with  a 

graduating  course  for  the  former,  in 

I. — Languages,  |  IV. — Philosophy, 

II. — Physical  Sciences,  V. — Belles-Lettres, 

III. — Mathematics,  |  VI. — Ornamental  Branches. 

Preparatory  and  Primary  Departments  were  also  added.     Instruction  commenced 

September  11,  1865. 

T.  H.   BALL,  Proprietor  and  Trustee. 


LOCATION. 
Crown  Point  is  located  on  the  Chicago,  Columbus  and  Indiana  Central  Railroad, 
forty  miles  from  Chicago,  in  Lake  County,  Indiana.  Tt  is  noted  for  the  healthfulness 
and  beauty  of  its  location.     It  is  a  county  seat. 

THE  INSTITUTE. 
Is  now  in  its  Fifth  Year.     The  Fourth  Term  will  commence  April  25,  1870.     Ten 
•weeks  in  each  Term — Four  terms  in  a  year.     Pleasant  roo.ms   are  furnished  for  self- 
boarders. 

RATES   OF   TUITION,  ETC.,  PER   TERM,  r.W.JiBI.E    IN    .\DVANCE. 

Primary  Department ^3 

Intermediate 4 

Preparatory 5 


Collegiate 

Janitor's  fees __ __ 

Room  Rent  (self-boarders) 2 

Drawing  Lessons 2 

Painting,  Water  Colors 4 


Bookkeeping $2.00 

Music — Lessons  and  use  of  Instru- 
ment— 

Melodeon 8.00 

Piano _ io.(X> 

Board — washing  and  lights  exclu- 
ded - 30.00 

Or,  per  week 3.00 


VACATIONS. 
At  Christmas,  one  week  ;  in  April,  one  week  ;  Summer  vacation,  ten  weeks. 

RECREATIONS. 
Besides  the  daily  exercises  and  recreation,  excursions  sometimes  to  Cedar  Lake, 
a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  distant  five  miles,  and  a  few  sleigh  rides  in  the  winter. 

COURSE  OF  STUDY. 

PRIMARY. 

Spelling,  Writing,  Mental  Arithmetic, 

Reading,  Geography.  Readers,  ist,  2d,  3d  &  4th. 

INTER.MEDIATE. 

The  same,  adding  Practical  Arithmetic  and  Fifth  Reader. 

PREPARATORY. 

Spelling,  Practical  Arithmetic,  Algebra, 

Sixth  Reader,  Geography,  Latin  Grammar,  and 

Intellectual  Arithmetic,  English  Grammar,  Reader. 


PROGRESS.  129 

COLLEGIATE. 

YOUNG  LADIES'  COURSE. 

FIRST  YEAR — JUNIOR  CLASS. 

English  Analysis  and  Physiology,  Composition  and  Rhetoric, 

Scanning,  History  of  the  United         Caesar, 

Physical  Geography,  States,  Botany. 

Algebra, 

SECOND   YEAR — MIDDLE    CLASS. 

Ancient  Geography,  Geometry.  Moral  Science, 

History  of  England,  Natural  Philosophy,  Zoology, 

Virgil,  Trigonometry,  Cicero's  Orations. 

THIRD    YEAR — SENIOR    CLASS. 

Political  Economy,  Chemistry,  Modern  History, 

Horace,  Ancient  History,  Mineralogy  and  Geolo§^, 

Logic,  Elements  of  Criticism,  Evidences  of  Christianity. 

Mental  Philosophy,  Astronomy,  Butler's  Analogy. 

OPTIONAL  IN  THE  COURSE,  AND  NOT  NAMED  ABOVE. 
Bookkeeping,  Drawing,  Painting,  Greek,  German,  Vocal  and   Instrumental  Mu- 
sic, Sallust,  Livy  and  Tacitus. 

Rhetorical  Exercises,  Recitations  and  Compositions  required  in  each  department. 


After  taking  out  the  musical  instruments  and  some 
furniture,  its  academic  work  having  been  accomplished, 
the  Institute  property  was  sold,  August  i,  187 1,  to  the 
town  of  Crown  Point  for  the  sum  of  $3,600.  Thus,  like 
the  Institute  at  Valparaiso,  like  the  Female  Institute  at 
Indianapolis,  like  some  other  such  private  enterprises,  it 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  public,  the  prevailing  dispo- 
sition now  in  Indiana  being  to  sustain  only  public  graded 
and  district  schools.  The  following  statements  were 
published  in  the  Standard^  of  Chicago,  in  July,  1872, 
which  also,  as  a  condensed  view  of  things  accomplished 
in  the  edueational  line,  I  place  among  these  records. 

The  communication  from  which  the  extract  is  taken 
was  signed  by  the  former  Principal  of  the  Institute.  After 
stating  its  origin  and  reason  ior  its  transfer  to  other 
hands  the  article  proceeds  : 

"  It  educated,  more  or  less,  a  few  hundred  students, 
who  are  now,  so   far  as   I   know,  in    Nova  Scotia,  New 


130  LAKE    COUNTY. 

York,  Kentucky,  Virginia,  Alabama,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Kansas,  Missouri,  Iowa,  and  in  the  far  West.  Quite  a 
number  have  engaged  in  teaching.  Some  are  practicing 
law  and  medicine,  sohie  are  clerks  and  in  business,  some 
are  farmers  and  mechanics.  One  only  is  preparing  for 
the  ministry.  Most  of  the  young  ladies  have  married, 
and  a  number  of  the  young  men.  Some  of  the  young 
ladies  became  leaders  of  church-music.  All  who  have 
gone  into  life  seem  to  be  active  and  useful.  Three  of  the 
young  ladies  have/  died.  Seventeen  of  the  students  I 
baptized.  Most  of  them  received  religious  instruction. 
During  one  of  the  years  there  were  some  sixty  boarders. 
Other  years,  not  quite  so  many.  The  students  were  from 
the  families  of  Baptists,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Spir- 
itualists, Lutherans,  Catholics,  and  Jews. 

"  If  labor  for  the  mind  and  heart  is  profitable,  if  he 
who  trains  for  activity  and  usefulness  young  minds 
achieves  success,  then  I  doubt  not  that  when  the  in- 
volved radical  of  my  strange  earthly  life  is  solved,  the 
unknown  quantities  representing  six  years  of  varied  labor 
here  will  come  out  in  integers  of  determinate  and  real 
value.  The  equation  is  one  which  no  mathematician  at 
present  can  solve,  although  he  perceives  entering  into  it 
a  minus  one  thousand.  To  sell  was,  for  myself,  finan- 
cially, needful;  for  the  cause  of  education  it  was  a  retro- 
grade movement.  There  are  those  whose  real  interests 
should  have  perpetuated  such  a  school  as  a  living  power 
for  years  yet  to  come." 

The  Institute  also  published  a  paper,  the  first  literary 
and  educational  paper  in  the  county,  at  first  called  the 
Pierian,  and  afterward  its  name   was  changed  to  Gas- 


PROGRESS  131 

TALiAN.  The  educated  reader  will  not  need  to  be  in- 
formed that  these  both  are  classic  names.  This  periodi- 
cal became  an  eight-page  monthly,  of  good  size  and  neat 
appearance.  Of  its  literary  character,  Prof.  Harkness, 
of  Brown  University,  and  others  in  the  East,  spoke  very 
favorably  ;  and  the  Sun  Beam,  in  its  Literary  Review, 
naming  a  number  of  exchanges,  said,  "The  Castalian, 
Crown  Point,  Ind.,  and  The  Mount  Auburn  Index,  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  are  educational  monthlies  worthy  the  pat- 
ronage of  every  lover  of  learning." 

Commencing  November,  1867,  its  last  issue  was  sent 
out  in  March,  1870.  It  may  be  that  the  teachers  of  the 
public  schools  would  have  done  themselves  credit  and 
promoted  their  own  interests  by  securing  its  continuance 
as  an  educational  journal,  but  both  it  and  the  Institute 
are  nwv  among  the  things  of  the  past. 

The  Pierian  Society,  conducted  by  the  members  of  the 
Institute  in  its  palmy  days,  the  only  society  of  the  kind 
which  has  yet  existed  in  the  county,  whose  annual  exhi- 
bitions were  well  attended,  belongs  alike  to  this  period 
of  educational  progress. 

The  hundreds  of  former  students,  scattered  widely 
now,  will  recall  pleasant  remembrances  in  connection 
with  their  academic  life ;  and  none  of  them  will  forget 
one,  always  so  earnest  and  active  in  the  Society,  and  in 
behalf  of  the  Castalian,  the  most  thorough  Latin  and 
Greek  scholar  of  the  Institute,  Henry  Johnson,  of  Crown 
Point ;  nor  will  they  be  surprised  that  he,  entering  the 
Sophomore  Class  at  Hanover  College,  took  the  honors  of 
the  class  in  the  languages,  graduated  with  credit,  and  is 
now    pursuing  a  theological    course  in  the  seminary  at 


132  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Chicago ;  and  while  the  Dinwiddies  and  others  are 
achieving  success  in  farming,  and  J.  B.  Turner,  and  W. 
Weatherbee,  and  H.  Nichols,  and  E.  Bibler,  and  so  many- 
others  are  pressing  on  in  business;  and  H.  H.  Pratt,  H. 
Castle,  and  H.  Pettibone  are  looking  forward  to  distinc- 
tion in  the  medical  profession,  scores  of  others,  active 
men  and  women  now,  making  their  mark  in  the  world ; 
none  will  be  surprised  if  Henry  Johnson,  in  his  lone 
pathway,  as  a  herald  of  the  Cross,  should  gain  at  last  the 
highest  honor  of  them  all.  For  a  prophet's  pen  has  writ- 
ten, "And  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness 
of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteous- 
ness, as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever." 

From  the  Castalian  of  April,  1868,  the  following  is 
taken,  and  it  is  again  commended  to  all  who  are  inter- 
ested in  education  : 

"  The  teaching  which  the  Institute  gives  to  its  stu- 
dents : 

I  St.  Prepare  yourselves  for  usefulness. 

2d.  Prepare  yourself  for  happiness. 

3d.  Do  what  you  can  to  fit  others  for  usefulness  and 
happiness." 

In  the  same  year  (1865)  two  ladies  came  from  Illinois, 
Misses  M.  and  K.  Knight,  and  started  a  boarding  and 
day  school  for  girls  in  Crown  Point.  They  erected  a 
small  building  on  East  Street,  which  has  since  been  re- 
moved to  the  south  end  of  town.  They  have  also  erected 
on  South  Street  a  dwelling  house,  have  admitted  boys  and 
some  young  men  into  their  school,  and  seem  to  be  quite 
prosperous. 

In  1866  the  first  Teachers'  Institute  of  the  county  was 


PROGRESS.  133 

held,  conducted  by  W.  W.  Cheshire,  then  School  Exam- 
iner. Pertaining  to  the  Teachers'  Institute,  I  find  the 
following  record  taken  from  the  Crown  Point  Register. 
As  a  fugitive  production,  belonging,  probably,  to  1867, 
it  may  interest  the  hundred  teachers  of  the  county  to  see 
it  reproduced  on  a  more  permanent  page. 

"  On  Thursday  evening  the  Social  was  well  attended 
by  both  teachers  and  citizens.  The  exercises  consisted 
of  toasts,  music,  volunteer  speeches,  and  reading.  The 
following  poem,  prepared  expressly  for  the  occasion,  was 
read  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Ball : 

Fellow  teachers  and  friends,  we're  assembled  (o-night 

To  enjoy  from  stem  science  a  social  respite. 

A  draft  of  nepenthe  from  study  and  care, 

Diversion  to  cheer  us,  kindred  feelings  to  share. 

And  though  knowing  all  play  "  makes  Jack  a  mere  toy," 

Still  we  think  that  all  study  "  makes  but  a  dull  boy  "  ; 

Hence,  mirth,  wit,  and  science  we'd  mingle  together. 

Nor  one  from  the  other  would  too  widely  sever  ; 

Yet  of  "  Puss  in  the  Corner,"  and  "  Blind  Man's  Buff," 

Had  we  not  in  our  childhood  surely  enough  ? 

Above  such  enjoyment  then,  gently  we'll  mount, 

And  sprinkle  our  pastimes  from  Piera's  fount. 

In  a  parenthesis  here  to  insert. 

Classical  hearers,  please  do  not  feel  hurt ; 

Our  shoes  may  seem  shoddy  plodding  that  ground, 

But  mayn't  sense  sometimes  yield  for  the  sake  of  the  sound? 

Besides  toasts,  then,  and  music,  and  speech  most  profound, 

With  our  names,  kindest  friends,  we'll  acquaint  you  around. 

And  the  first  to  be  found  on  the  list  or  the  roll, 

The  two  Arnolds  of  Merrillville  quickly  are  told  ; 

Not  an  Arnold  of  traitor  extraction  I  ween, 

For  a  Violet  never  disloyal  can  seem. 

Next  come  the  Bs,  and  the  list  not  so  small ; 


134  LAKE    COUNTY. 

There  is  Barton,  and  Bonnell,  and  Bothwell,  and  Ball  ; 

Bacon,  and  Boyd,  and  Barker,  and  Brannon  ; 

Gents  and  ladies  in  "pi  "  you'll  observe  by  the  scanning. 

Craft,  Cheshires,  and  Chapman,  Cramer  followed  by  Chase, 

There's  a  Castle,  a  Coffin,  and  Death  we  must  face  ; 

Dittmers  and  Davis,  and  with  D  we  are  done  ; 

And  a  Foster  fills  proudly  F's  column  alone. 

Gregg,  Granger,  and  Gerloch,  and  then  comes  a  Hyde, 

Hayne,  Hill,  and  a  Holton  who  stands  in  his  pride. 

A  Jackson,  a  Johns,  a  Miss  Johns,  ah,  ha  ! 

For  a  lady's  name  truly  they've  wandered  afar. 

A  Kenny,  a  Knothe,  a  Lehman  you  see. 

And  skip  "Ab,"  the  invincible  who  never  will  flee. 

The  M's  are  so  many  we  look  out  for  the  Mair, 

To  be  lost  in  the  list  were  an  accident  dire, 

But  no  danger,  that  thought  we  quickly  forestall. 

For  there  stand  the  two  Melvilles,  both  graceful  and  tall, 

McClaren,  McCracken,  Merrill,  Martins  you  scan, 

Now  introduce  you  a  lady,  yet  surprising,  a  Mann  ! 

Now  Nichols  from  Lowell,  stands  alone  in  the  line  ; 

Silver  nickel  is  good,  Hannah  comes  in  good  time. 

Here  is  Palmer,  and  Pelton,  a  Pearce  for  the  Post, 

Rhea,  Rundells,  and  Rollins,  and  in  S  stand  a  host ; 

Sykes,  Sales,  Sasse,  and  Sheehan,  Sturges,  Sherman,  and  Starrs, 

Like  the  bright  flashing  meteors,  they've  come  from  afar. 

Now  we're  at  tea  with  Tillotson  and  Tucker, 

Wise,  Whipple,  Ward,  Woods,  Wood-cn  Williams  we  mutter. 

And  the  last  in  our  group  is  found  in  Dickens,  short  song, 

A  hope  that  his  memory  might  ever  be  Young. 

Thus  showing  you  round,  in  front,  left,  and  right, 

We  hope  you'll  enjoy  yourselves  hugely  to-night, 

And  that  never,  down  all  of  life's  checkered  lane. 

May  we  sigh  that  these  hours  were  hours  spent  in  vain." 


I  return  once  more  to  the  year  1865.     On  the  i6th  of 
September  of  that  year  was  organized,  at  Crown  Point, 


PROGRESS.  135 

the  Lake  County  Sunday  School  Convention,  an  organ- 
ization which  is  yet  living,  and  accomplished  much, 
it  is  to  be  hoped,  in  promoting  the  moral  culture  of  the 
young.  Judge  Ball,  of  Cedar  Lake,  was  its  first  Presi- 
dent, and  continued  to  act  as  such,  until,  failing  health 
laid  him  aside  from  active  life.  The  convention  holds 
each  year,  in  the  month  of  August,  an  anniversary  meet- 
ing, which  meetings  have  been  largely  attended  and  are 
very  interesting. 

In  1868,  James  H.  Ball  having  been  appointed  School 
Examiner,  held  the  Institute. 

His  first  circular  is  placed  here  for  preservation,  and 
to  show  the  progress  now  made. 

"THIRD    ANNUAL    TEACHERS'    INSTITUTE    OF  LAKE 

COUNTY 
Will  be  held  at  Crown  Point,  commencing  August  31,  1868,  and  con- 
tinue five  days.  Classes  and  exercises  will  be  conducted  daily  as  follows: 

Orthography  and  Reading. 

English  Grammar. — W.  W.  Cheshire,  former  Principal  of  Crown 
Point  Graded  School. 

Physical  and  Descriptive  Geography  and  Physiology. — Miss  S.  J. 
Walker,  of  Orleans,  Indiana. 

History. — Mrs.  B.  B.  Cheshire. 

Mathematics  and  Analysis  of  Language.- — President  T.  H.  Ball, 
of  Crown  Point  Institute. 

Political  Geography. — T.  J.  Wood,  Esq. 

English   Composition  and  l\hetoric. — Mrs.  I^.  G.  Bedell. 

Calisthenics. — Miss  C.  A,  Jackson. 

Pen?nanship. — Miss  M.  J.  Ball. 

The  following  lecturers  are  expected  to  be  in  attendance  :  J.  B. 
Hoag,  M.  D.,  of  Knox,  Indiana  ;  A.  S.  Cutler,  D.  D,  S,,  of  Kanka- 
kee City,  Illinois  ;  W,  Mendenhall,  of  Chicago,  and  others,  giving 
a  course  of  eight  lectures." 


136  LAKE    COUNTY. 

While  educational  interests  were  thus  striding  onward 
and  some  of  the  educators  were  endeavoring  to  promote 
literary  culture,  although  population  was  not  increasing 
so  rapidly  as  between  '50  and  '60,  our  towns  were  grow- 
ing up  at  a  rate  unknown  before ;  Lowell,  without  a 
railroad,  Crown  Point,  and  Hobart,  and  Dyer  with 
railroad  facilities,  were  erecting  good  buildings  and 
sending  off  large  amounts  of  produce;  and  the  year  '69 
closed  upon  a  region  that  had  made  a  long  stride  in 
educational,  social,  and  material  progress. 


BURIAL    PLACES.  I37 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BURIAL    PLACES. 

Different  nations  and  tribes  have  devised  differ- 
ent ways  for  disposing  of  the  bodies  of  their  dead. 
Some  have  embalmed  them.  Some  have  burned  them 
and  then  preserved  the  ashes  in  an  urn.  Some  have  ex- 
posed them  on  scaffolds  or  heights  that  the  flesh  might  be 
consumed  by  birds.  Others  have  left  them  more  or  less 
exposed  to  be  devoured  by  hyenas  and  other  ravenous 
beasts.  And  still  others  have  buried  them  as  securely  as 
possible  within  the  earth. 

The  manner  of  disposing  of  the  bodies  of  the  dead 
marks  the  kind  of  civilization  which  a  nation  has  at- 
tained. The  practice  of  burning,  though  existing  among 
nations  of  ancient  civilization,  is  now  called  "  barba- 
rous." 

Dr.  Shaw  says,  of  the  present  burying  places  of  the 
East,  which  is  the  most  populous  portion  of  the  globe, 
"  They  occupy  a  large  space,  a  great  extent  of  ground 
being  allotted  for  the  purpose.  Each  family  has  a  por- 
tion of  it  walled  in  like  a  garden,  where  the  bones  of 
its  ancestors  have  remained  undisturbed  for  many  gen- 
erations. For  in  these  inclosures  the  graves  are  all  dis- 
tinct and  separate ;  each  of  them  having  a  stone  placed 
upright,  both   at   the   head  and   feet,  inscribed  with  the 


138  LAKE    COUNTY. 

name  or  title  of  the  deceased,  whilst  the  intermediate 
space  is  either  planted  with  flowers,  bordered  round  with 
stone,  or  paved  with  tiles."  Kitto,  page  359.  Such 
cemeteries  would  indicate  civilization. 

I  propose  in  this  chapter  to  name  ours,  and  briefly 
note  their  condition;  considering  that  they  belong  to  our 
progress  and  our  civilization. 

I WEST    CREEK    TOWNSHIP. 

1.  A  very  retired,  quiet  resting-place  over  West  Creek, 
on  the  Fuller  place,  where  the  dead  of  that  neighborhood 
have  been  buried.  Not  fenced  by  itself  nor  deeded  to 
trustees  ;  but  well  cared  for. 

2.  The  Hayden  Burial  Place.  Now  West  Creek.  Not 
deeded.     Protected. 

3.  The  Methodist  Church  Burial  Ground,  near  the 
bridge.     Cared  for,  but  too  small. 

4.  Old  Burial  Ground  near  the  Wilkinson  place.  Only 
some  six  graves.  Private  property.  No  special  care, 
but  not  disturbed. 

5.  The  Sanders  Burial  Ground.  Probably  not  deeded 
to  the  public,  but  protected. 

6.  The  Belshaw  family  ground,  now  owned  by  S.  R. 
Tarr.  Ought  to  be  deeded  to  the  County  Commission- 
ers. It  is  enclosed,  contains  some  fine,  large  evergreens, 
but  there  is  no  security  that  it  will  remain  undisturbed, 
and  the  dust  of  one  of  Lake  Prairie's  loveliest  daughters, 
with  several  other  once  loved  forms,  is  there  reposing. 

7.  Lake  Prairie  Burial  Ground.  This  is  large,  well 
protected  and  cared  for  ;  is  on  a  sightly  eminence,  one  of 
the  best  located  cemeteries  in  the  county.  I  can  find  no 
deed  of  this  ground  to  trustees  on'^i.record.  It  ought  to 
be  thus  deeded. 


BURIAL    PLACES.  I39 

II CEDAR    CREEK    TOWNSHIP. 

1.  Lowell  Cemetery.  Fenced,  cared  for,  and  well 
filled'with  graves.     Needs  a  gate. 

2.  Orchard  Grove  Burial  Place.     Well  kept. 

3.  Tinkerville  or  Cedar  Lake  Cemetery.  This  is  pro- 
tected, is  used  as  a  public  burial  place,  but  is  private 
property  on  the  land  of  A.  D.  Palmer.  It  ought  to  be 
deeded  to  Trustees,  or  the  Commissioners. 

Ill EAGLE    CREEK    TOWNSHIP. 

1.  Plum  Grove  Cemetery.  Private  as  to  ownership; 
public  as  to  use.     Needs  fencing. 

2.  South  East  Grove  Cemetery.  Is  near  the  school 
house,  near  where  a  church  should  be  built;  is  fenced 
and  deeded.  It  contains  one  of  the  iinest  gray  marble 
monuments  in  the  county,  erected  to  the  memory  of  Otto 
F.  Benjamin,  a  very  promising  young  man,  who  died 
suddenly,  at  the  school  house  where  he  was  teaching,  in 
187 1.  Only  two  burials  at  South  East  Grove  up  to  the 
year  1843. 

IV WINFIELD    TOWNSHIP. 

1.  Deer  Creek  Cemetery,  near  the  school  house.  This 
place  of  burial,  used  for  many  years,  seems  to  be  prop- 
erly kept. 

2.  Old  Burial  Ground  at  Hickory  Point. 

V ROSS    TOWNSHIP. 

1.  Cemetery  at  Ross. 

2.  Cemetery  at  Merrillville. 

3.  Family  burial  place  at  Deep  River.  This  is,  per- 
haps, the  oldest  in  the  county,  having  been  first  used  in 
1836.     These  are  cared  for. 


140  LAKE    COUNTY. 

4.  An  old  burial  place  near  the  Wilkinson  Ford  of 
Deep  River,  from  which  some  bodies  have  been  removed, 
but  where  many  yet  remain.  This  old  spot  is  now  part 
of  a  cultivated  field.  It  seems  a  pity  that  the  little 
ground  required  to  receive  the  dust  of  human  forms  may 
not  remain  undisturbed.  This  spot  ought  yet  to  be  res- 
cued from  the  plowshire,  consecrated,  as  it  has  been,  by 
the  burial  of  old  settlers  ;  or  the  human  remains  there 
resting  should  be  removed  to  a  quiet  cemetery  which  is 
sacred  to  repose. 

5.  A  cemetery  near  the  Joliet  road,  between  Deep 
River  and  Merrillville.     Tolerably  protected. 

6.  Ground  on  the  farm  of  W.  T.  Dennis  contains  some 
thirty  graves.  Here  were  buried  many  old  settlers,  as 
the  Beebers,  Dustins,  Sturdeyvants,  Clevelands,  and  oth- 
ers. Has  not  been  used  for  burial  purposes  for  five  or 
six  years.  It  ought  to  be  protected  and  secured  against 
desecration. 

VI HOBART     TOWNSHIP. 

1.  Catholic  Cemetery  at  Lake. 

2.  Protestant  Cemetery  at  Lake;  laid  out  in  187 1. 
Unused  at  this  date. 

3.  Hobart  Cemetery.  All  these  are  properly  cared  for 
and  kept. 

4.  An  old  burial  ground  that  has  been  used  for  thirty 
years,  south  of  Hobart,  on  a  farm  formerly  owned  by  Wm. 
Banks.  This  is  private  property,  the  right  of  use  for 
burial  purposes  being  reserved  when  deeded  by  W. 
Banks,  but  not  the  land  itself.  It  ought  to  be  sur- 
rounded by  a  fence,  as  it  is  located  in  a  road-side 
pasturage. 


BURIAL    PLACES.  I4I 

VII — ST.  John's  township. 

1.  Hack  Family  Cemetery.     A  beautiful  situation. 

2.  St.  John's  Cemetery. 

3.  Dyer  Cemetery. 

These,  as  consecrated  grounds,  are  protected  and  kept 
in  order. 

4.  An  old  burial  place  east  of  Shererville,  on  the  east 
end  of  the  sand  ridge.  Not  protected  by  any  fence, 
probably  deeded  to  no  trustees.  It  is  Protestant  ground, 
and  shows  neglect.  The  neighborhood  interested  ought 
at  once  to  secure,  by  a  suitable  fence,  this  place,  where 
for  so  many  years  their  dead  were  buried. 

VIII HANOVER    TOWNSHIP. 

1.  A  burial  place  on  the  west  side  of  West  Creek.  The 
ground  belongs  to  the  public,  although  undeeded,  as  it 
lies  on  a  portion  of  land  set  apart  for  a  highway,  other 
land  for  the  highway  having  been  purchased  beside  it. 
This  cemetery  has  been  sadly  neglected.  It  is  the  last 
resting-place  of  the  remains  of  some  old  and  highly  re- 
spected citizens  and  deserves  far  better  care. 

2.  The  family  cemetery  of  H.  Sasse,  Sen.  This  is 
well  kept. 

3.  A  little  knoll  near  Cedar  Lake,  originally  claimed 
by  S.  Russell,  has  been  consecrated  by  occasional  bur- 
ials since  the  spring  of  1837.  The  body  of  a  little 
daughter  of  Solomon  Russell,  drowned  in  an  unfinished 
well,  was  the  first  one  there  committed  to  the  dust.  A 
young  Norwegian  passing  through  this  region,  taken  sick 
and  dying  at  the  Cox  place,  away  from  all  friends  and 
kindred,  buried  in  December,  1837,  was  the  second  to 
find  there  a  resting-place.     Since   then   many    residents 

12 


142  LAKE    COUNTY. 

near  Cedar  Lake,  have,  during  the  past  years,  been  added 
to  those  slumberers.  This-knoll,  by  right,  belongs  to  an 
uncle  of  that  Norwegian,  a  man  of  intelligence  and 
wealth,  who  came  out  from  the  city  of  New  York  many 
months  afterwards,  found  the  house  in  which  his  nephew 
died,  the  spot  where  he  was  buried,  and  who  for  that 
spot  of  ground  paid  Solomon  Russell  five  dollars,  the 
value  then  of  four  acres  of  land.  H.  Sasse,  Sen.,  and 
myself  have  a  knowledge  of  that  purchase.  John  Meyer, 
of  Hanover,  is  the  present  legal  owner  of  this  land ;  and 
I  take  the  liberty  to  suggest  that  he  ought,  in  considera- 
tion of  its  ancient  purchase,  and  of  its  use  for  so  many 
years  as  a  place  of  burial,  to  deed  the  few  rods  in  this 
little  wooded  knoll  to  the  County  Commissioners,  that  it 
may,  in  the  language  of  the  Statutes  of  Indiana,  "  be  ded- 
icated as  a  public  burying  place  forever." 

4.  Hanover  Centre  Cemetery,  consecrated  ;  belonging 
to  the  Church  of  St.  Martin. 

5.  A  cemetery  connected  with  the  German  Methodist 
Church. 

IX CENTRE    TOWNSHIP. 

1.  Old  Burying  Ground. 

2.  Crown  Point  Cemetery. 

3.  Crown  Point  New  Cemetery. 

4.  East  Cedar  Lake. 

5.  Old  County-farm  Cemetery. 

Not  one  of  these,  I  am  sorry  to  make  such  a  record,  is 
cared  for  as  it  should  be,  except  the  new  cemetery.  The 
idea  of  removing  the  dead  from  place  to  place,  not  al- 
lowing even  their  bones  to  rest  in  peace,  and  the  idea  of 
leaving  graves  unprotected,  or  of  running  the  plow-share 


BURIAL    PLACES.  145 

over  them,  seem  to  me  alike  to  do  violence  to  the  better 
impulses  of  our  hearts  ;  and  I  express  here  the  hope 
that  my  fellow-citizens,  in  the  different  parts  of  the 
county,  in  other  respects  so  considerate,  so  humane  in 
feeling,  so  noble  in  disposition,  so  cultivated  and  intelli- 
gent, will  awaken  to  a  just  sense  of  what,  in  regard  to  our 
thirty-eight  burial  places,  their  own  civilization  demands 
at  their  hands. 

The  metropolis  of  Great  Britain  comprises  Westmin- 
ster, London  proper,  and  Southwark.  The  first  two 
places,  once  a  mile  apart,  are  on  one  side  of  the  Thames, 
and  the  last  on  the  other  side.  In  contrast  with  the 
burials  in  Westminster  Abbey,  where  so  many  of  the 
great  and  some  of  the  good  of  England  have  been  buried, 
a  writer  says  :  "  Bunhill  Fields  is  out  of  doors,  a  little 
plat  of  four  acres  in  the  heart  of  the  great  city,  as  plain 
and  unpretending  as  a  country  church-yard.  Yet  it  has 
a  history  as  replete  with  interest  as  the  more  splendid 
depository  of  royalty  and  genius."  One  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  are  said  to  have  been  buried  in  that 
city  cemetery.  Among  them  are  John  Bunyan,  Daniel 
DeFoe,  and  Dr.  Isaac  Watts.  In  another  cemetery 
across  the  street  lie  the  remains  of  John  Wesley.  His 
mothers's  dust  reposes  in  Bunhill  Fields,  where  also  lie 
the  remains  of  George  Fox,  the  Quaker;  of  T.  Fowell 
Buxton,  the  philanthropist,  and  of  multitudes  of  others 
of   renowned  and  unknown  men. 

When,  one  hundred  years  hence.  Lake  county  having 
become  densely  populated,  a  large  suburban  town  having 
spread  out  for  miles  around  the  present  growing  village, 
there  will  be  no  ancient,  quiet    church-yards   into  which 


144  LAKE    COUNTY. 

observing  travelers,  and  meditative  poets,  and  studious 
antiquarians  may  enter  and  find  the  resting  places  of 
the  noted  ones  of  this  generation,  unless  we  change  the 
present  custom,  and  the  ])revailing  popular  taste.  In 
view  of  the  growth,  and  the  love  of  research  and  medi- 
tation, which  we  may  surely  look  for  three  generations 
hence,  I  earnestly  recommend  to  the  citizens  of  Crown 
Point,  to  purchase  and  fence  the  Old  Cemetery — it  is  in 
a  very  good  situation  for  a  quiet  summer  morning  retreat 
for  thought  and  solitude — and  set  it  apart  as  the  resting 
place  of  the  slumberers  who  are  there,  "  forever," 
until  the  dead  themselves  shall  awake.  Then  I  earn- 
estly entreat  that  they  let  the  second  one  remain,  re- 
fence  it,  and  care  for  it,  and  let  the  two  hundred  sleep- 
ing bodies  that  ai-e  there  sleep  on.  Let  that  once  ani- 
mated and  honored  dust  lie  where  sorrowing  friends, 
absent  and  scattered  now,  laid  it  away  to  rest.  It  is 
poor  civilization  to  be  continually  moving  the  bones  and 
ashes  of  the  dead.  Let  the  generations  of  the  future  see 
the  very  places  where  our  bodies  are  moldering  to  the 
^ust. 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  I45 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TOWNS    A*MD    VILLAGES. 

Leaving  the  resting  places  of  the  dead,  and  returning 
again  to  the  abodes  of  the  living,  I  present,  in  this  chap- 
ter, a  glance  at  the  centres  of  business  life,  the  villages, 
and  the  towns.  They  are  arranged  neither  in  the  order 
of  age  or  size ;  but  partly  in  the  order  in  which  some  of 
them  were  visited ;  and,  partly,  with  the  design  of  pre- 
senting as  much  variety  as  is  practicable. 

BRUNSWICK — 1858. 

This  village  is  in  Hanover  Township,  on  the  west  side 
of  West  Creek,  ten  miles  from  Crown  Point,  nearly  due 
west  of  the  head  of  Cedar  Lake.  It  was  commenced  by 
the  location  of  a  store,  near  the  corner,  in  1858.  It 
contains  eighteen  families;  one  store,  at  which  is  sold 
annually  some  twelve  thousand  dollars  worth  of  goods ; 
two  blacksmiths'  shops;  two  wagon  shops  ;  two  masons; 
one  carpenter ;  one  shoemaker  ;  one  harness  maker,  one 
physician,  a  homoepathist ;  and  one  horse  doctor.  It  also 
has  a  two-story  school  building,  which  cost  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars ;  and  a  manufacturing  establishment  of 
water  elevators.  It  contains  the  residences  of  H.  C. 
Beckman,  late  County  Commissioner  ;  of  Dr.  C.  Gro- 
man,  J.  H.  Irish,  J.  Schmal,  and   A.    Farwell.     It  seems 


146  LAKE    COUNTY. 

to  be   prosperous,   but  not   growing  rapidly.     It  has  no 
church  building. 

HANOVER    CENTRE 1856. 

This  is  east  of  Brunswick  two  miles,  and  eight  miles 
southwest  from  Crown  Point.  It  dates  as  a  village  back 
to  about  1856.  It  contains  ten  families,  one  store,  one 
wagon  shop,  one  blacksmith's  shop,  one  shoemaker,  one 
carpenter,  one  dressmaker,  and  two  saloons.  It  is  the 
seat  of  the  Church  of  St.  Martin,  belonging  to  which  are 
five  acres  of  land  and  a  cemetery. 

KLAASVILLE 1860. 

This  little  village  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  "  Grand 
Prairie,"  about  half  a  mile  from  the  Illinois  line,  south 
and  west  from  Brunswick,  distant  from  Crown  Point 
about  twelve  miles.  It  is  near  the  summit  of  a  slight 
elevation  in  the  prairie,  from  whence  one  may  look  far 
away  into  the  apparently  boundless  regions  of  Illinois. 
The  village  was  founded  by  H.  Klaas,  who  settled  there 
in  1850,  the  first  German  in  that  vicinity.  Here  is  lo- 
cated the  Church  of  St.  Anthony,  erected  in  i860,  con- 
nected with  which  is  a  cemetery  ;  and  settled  near  are 
some  ten  or  fifteen  families,  in  the  village  proper  about 
ten.  Here  is  one  store,  and  a  school  house  ;  also  a  black- 
smith, a  carpenter,  a  wagon  maker,  a  shoemaker,  and  a 
tailor.     It  is  a   quiet,  thrifty,  healthful  place. 

TINKERVILLE 1850. 

The  locality  which  bears  this  name,  lying  a  little  south- 
east of  Cedar  Lake,  and  distant  from  Crown  Point  about 
seven  miles,  is  not  a  compact  village.  A  store,  and  post 
office,  and  a  blacksmith  shop  are  near  each  other,  and  a 
few  rods  away  are  four  dwelling   houses.     The  school 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES  I47 

house  is  half  a  mile  distant,  on  one  of  four  corners,  and 
within  a  circle  of  three  quarters  of  a  mile  are  ten  other 
families.  As  a  centre  for  evening  and  Sabbath  gather- 
ings, for  schools  and  religious  meetings,  it  is  equal  to  a 
village  of  twenty  families. 

Here  reside  the  descendants  of  the  first  settlers,  on  the 
east  side  of  Cedar  Lake,  with  other  families  who  have 
settled  among  them,  and  nearly  every  family  in  this 
neighborhood  is  connected  by  ties  of  blood,  or  by  mar- 
riage and  intermarriage. 

This  settlement  reached  the  village  form  about  1850. 
The  Cedar  Lake  Baptist  Church  removed  their  meetings 
from  the  west  side  to  the  old  School  House  in  this  place, 
and  transferred  the  location  of  their  Sabbath  School  at 
about  this  time,  probably  in  1S49.  Religious  meetings 
have  been  held  there,  in  the  name  of  the  Cedar  Lake 
Church,  by  Elders  Hunt,  McKay,  Brayton,  Hitchcock, 
Whitehead,  and  Steadman,  and  thus  this  locality  became 
the  second  Baptist  centre  in  Lake  County.  No  church 
edifice  was  erected;  that  church  organization  dissolved, 
and  nothing  remains  to  Tinkerville  of  that  part  of  the 
past,  except  the  Cedar  Lake  Sabbath  School,  one  of  the 
oldest  organizations  of  its  kind  in  the  county.  This 
locality  is  in  Cedar  Creek  Township.  It  contains  a  cem- 
etery. The  store,  blacksmith's  shop,  and  post  office  have 
been  already  mentioned.  Familiar  names  here  are  A. 
D.  Palmer,  Alfred  Edgerton,  Amasa  Edgerton,  and 
Obadiah  Taylor.  The  McCarty  family  resided  here  for 
many  years  ;  B.  McCarty,  the  father,  and  Smiley,  Wil- 
liam, Franklin,  F.  Asbury,  Morgan,  and  Jonathon,  the 
sons.     One   of  these,  Fayette  Asbury  McCarty,  go- 


148  LAKE    COUNTY. 

ing  forth  from  Tinkerville,  became  the  greatest  traveler 
Lake  has  ever  reared.  He  went  into  the  Far  West, 
beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  about  twenty  years  ago. 
The  maiden  whom  he  had  chosen  to  become  his  wife,  fell 
with  others  a  victim  to  Indian  border  strife  just  before 
the  time  set  for  their  marriage.  Lone  in  heart,  he 
engaged  for  three  years,  in  warfare  against  the  Indians ; 
was  four  times  wounded  by  them  ;  killed  with  his  own 
hand  twenty-one  of  the  Red  Wariors  who  had  burned 
the  dwelling,  and  killed  the  whole  family  of  her  whom  he 
loved.  Like  Logan,  the  Mingo,  against  the  whites,  he 
could  say,  "I  have  killed  rnany\'  and  then  he  com- 
menced his  wanderings.  He  went  among  the  mines  ;  he 
went  up  into  Alaska,  then  Russian  America;  he  went 
down  into  South  America;  he  crossed  the  ocean — the 
Pacific;  spent  some  time  in  China;  visited  the  Sandwich 
Islands  on  his  return  ;  made  money  among  the  mines ; 
and  after  fourteen  years'  absence,  visited,  some  six  or 
seven  years  ago,  the  haunts  of  his  youth  in  Lake  county. 
He  found  here  some  old  friends;  narrated  to  us  his 
adventures ;  went  to  New  York  to  take  passage  again  for 
the  mines;  was  taken  sick,  and  died  soon  after  reaching 
the  gold  region  at  Idaho.  Successful  in  obtaining  gold, 
noble  in  disposition,  lonely  in  heart  in  the  sad  romance 
of  his  life,  he  leaves  his  name  and  memory  to  be  carefully 
treasured  up  by  the  friends  of  his  boyhood  at  Cedar 
Lake.  I  am  glad  to  place  here  on  record  this  brief 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  greatest  traveler — F. 
Asbury  McCarty. 

TOLLESTON 1 85  7 . 

Number    of  families,  80 ;    population,    400 ;    distance 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  1 49 

from  Crown  Point,  eighteen  miles,  on  the  P.  &  F.W.  R.  R. 
The  men  for  the  most  part  work  on  the  railroad.  The 
company  pay  out  here,  per  month,  about  $2000.  Stores, 
4;  carpenters,  3  ;  blacksmith,  i  ;  shoemaker,  i.  This  is 
a  Lutheran  village.  It  contains  a  Lutheran  Church  and 
parsonage,  a  good  school  house,  and  a  few  miles  distant 
is  a  Chicago  Club  House.  This  is  a  neat  looking  build- 
ing of  wood,  near  the  Calumet,  erected  by  a  company  of 
sportsmen  in  Chicago,  who  occupy  it  as  a  boarding  house 
country  seat.  The  house  and  grounds  have  a  city  like 
appearance.  Not  far  west  of  Tolleston,  near  the 
crossing  of  the  Fort  Wayne  road  and  the  Calumet, 
is  said  to  be  the  highest  sand  hill  around  Lake  Michi- 
gan. The  wells  in  Tolleston  are  shallow,  the  soil  very 
sandy,  and  the  water  not  very  cold.  It  is  surface  water. 
The  number  of  families  given  here  includes  the  suburbs. 
CLARK — 1858. 
On  Fort  Wayne  railroad.  Number  of  families,  16; 
distant  from  Crown  Point,  16  miles.  Contains  two  ice 
houses,  one  hotel,  and  a  school  house.  The  principal  in- 
dustry is  putting  up  and  shipping  ice. 

MILLER, 

On  Michigan  Southern  Railroad  ;  a  station  ;  number  of 
families,  12.  Contains  a  little  grocery  store,  and  school 
house.     Distant  from  Crown  Point,  about  20  miles. 

WHITNEY. 

A  station  on  Michigan  Southern  Railroad.  Contains 
15  families.  No  business  except  railroad  work.  Distant 
from  Crown  Point,  some  20  miles. 

Gibson's  station — 1850. 

On  Michigan  Central  Railroad.     Families,  4;  no  busi- 


150  LAKE    COUNTY. 

ness.  Distant  from  Crown  Point,  17  miles.    Distant  from 
Hessville,  one  mile. 

PINE. 

A  station  on  Michigan  Southern  Railroad.  Families, 
4.     Distant  from  Crown  Point,  20  miles. 

STATE    LINE    SLAUGHTER    HOUSE. 

On    Michigan   Central  Railroad.     Miles  from  Crown 

Point,  20.     One  store  ;  one  boarding  house  for  workmen. 

The  Slaughter  House  employs  some  eighteen  men  ;  ship 

three  or   four  cars    daily    to    Boston,  loaded  with  beef, 

packed  in  ice. 

CASSELLO — 1858. 

A  station  on  Pittsburg  &  Fort  Wayne  Railroad.    Very 

few  families.     Nearly  destroyed  by  fire  last  fall. 

CASSVILLE. 

This  place  owes  its  existence  to  the  Pittsburg,  Cincin- 
nati and  St.  Louis  Railway.  A  grain  house,  a  hay  press, 
a  store,  and  three  dwelling  houses  comjjrise  the  buildings 
on  this  ground.  The  location  was  not  favorable  for  the 
growth  of  a  town  ;  and  some  slight  friction  somewhere, 
preventing  the  opening  of  roads  and  the  sale  of  town 
lots,  has  apparently  retarded  a  growth  that  might  have 
taken  place.  Cassville  is  about  half  way  between  Crown 
Point  and  Hebron,  or  six  miles  from  Crown  Point,  in 
Eagle  Creek  Township,  one  of  the  youngest  and  smallest 
of  all  our  villages.  Yet  its  enterprising  merchant,  A 
Edgerton,  does  considerable  business  ;  a  fair  amount  of 
grain  is  there  bought  and  shipped  by  Z.  F.  Summers  ; 
near  it  reside  J.  Q.  Benjamin,  the  McLaran  family,  and 
a  few  others  ;  and  around  it  lie  lands  owned  by  some 
wealthy  non-residents.  Dr.  Cass,  of  Porter,  and  Judge 
Niles,  of  La  Porte. 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  151 

LAKE    STATION 1 85  2. 

Number  of  families,  40  ;  dry  goods  stores,  2  ;  grocery 
stores,  3;  blacksmith's  shops,  2;  railroad  blacksmith's  shop, 
I ;  wagon  shop,  i ;  saloons,  5  ;  shoemaker's  shop,  i  ;  wind 
water  elevators,  for  railroad,  2 ;  boarding  houses,  5 ; 
basket  maker,  i  ;  meat  market,  i.  It  contains  also  one 
church,  and  one  school  house,  the  Audubon  Hotel, 
large  and  roomy,  and  an  engine  house.  Most  of  the  in- 
habitants are  connected  with  the  railroad.  The  depot 
grounds  are  the  largest  and  most  tastefully  laid  out  of  any 
in  the  county.  There  are  many  neat  looking  buildings. 
Soil,  sandy.  Distant  from  Crown  Point,  15  miles. 
HESsviLLE — 1858. 

Joseph  Hess,  the  proprietor  of  this  village,  settled  in 
1850,  and  kept  cattle.  Store  opened  about  1S58.  Fami- 
lies now  here,  20.  One  store,  one  blacksmith's  shop.  The 
families  here  live  by  cutting  wood,  picking  berries,  and 
working  on  railroad.  There  are  two  carpenters.  Hess- 
ville  contains  a  school  house  in  which  are  instructed 
some  seventy  scholars.  A  Sal)bath  School  has  been 
opened  there  this  season,  numbering  thirty  members,  and 
Tutheran  meetings  are  also  held  at  the  school  house. 
This  village  is  distant  from  Cxibson's  Station,  one  mile; 
and  from  Crown  Point,  16  miles.  A  good  grazing  region 
is  near  Hessville,  and  some  inhabitants  live  near  the  vil- 
lage, but  the  most   of  North  Township  is  as  yet  sparsely 

inhabited. 

DEEP    RIVER — 1838. 

This  place  is   the   home  of   John  Wood,  whose  name 

appears    among  the    records  of  the   early    settlers.     No 

lots  were  ever  laid  out  and  sold,  as   the  proprietor  here. 


152  LAKE    COUNTY. 

who  had  paid  one  thousand  dollars  for  the  quarter  sec- 
tion, it  being  an  Indian  reservation,  patented  to  Quash- 
ma,  saw  no  other  way  successfully  to  keep  out  strong 
drink.  It  has  therefore  contained  no  saloon,  and  has 
formed  a  pleasant  home  for  the  Wood  family,  and  a  few 
others. 

The  present  number  of  families  is  fourteen.  It  con- 
tains one  store,  owned  by  Augustus  Wood,  a  saw  mill 
and  grist  mill,  conducted  by  Nathan  Wood,  a  physician, 
Dr.  Vincent,  son-in-law  of  John  Wood,  a  blacksmith's 
shop,  and  a  shoemaker's  shop.  It  did  contain  a  very  good 
school  house,  which  was  consumed  by  fire  and  has  not 
been  rebuilt. 

The  residence  of  Nathan  Wood  is  of  brick,  very  sub- 
stantially built,  and  is  one  of  the  most  city-like  dwelling 
houses  in  the  county.  The  saw  mill  here  was  erected  in 
1837;  and  the  grist  mill,  in  1838.  Deep  River  village 
joins  the  Porter  County  line,  and  its  location  as  a  mill 
seat  has  been  very  desirable.  For  years  there  was  no 
other  grist  mill  in  the  two  counties.  Distance  from 
Crown  Point,  10  miles. 

CENTREVILLE 1 842. 

At  Wiggins  Point,  near  the  present  village  of  Centre- 
ville,  was  formerly  an  Indian  village.  The  old  burial 
ground  and  dancing  ground  still  remain  on  the  place 
now  owned  by  E.  Saxton.  White  settlers  came  here  in 
1835  and  1836,  but  I  place  the  date  of  the  commencement 
of  the  village  when  Miles  Pierce  built  the  first  tavern  here, 
and  pouring  out  a  bottle  of  whisky  or  breaking  it  upon 
the  frame,  after  the  manner  of  naming  ships,  called  it 
"  Centreville  Hotel."     Well  would  it  have  been  for  that 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  153 

village  and   many  others,  if  all  the  whisky  had  gone  the 
same  way. 

This  village  now  contains  twenty-three  families,  two 
taverns,  and  a  two  story  brick  school  house,  which  is 
used  for  Sabbath  school  and  for  Religious  meetings.  It 
has  no  church.  It  has  a  store,  blacksmith's  shop,  wagon 
shop,  harness  shop,  a  milliner,  dress-maker,  tailoress,  two 
shoemakers,  a  sale  stable,  and  one  saloon.  The  post 
office  is  named  Merrillville.  The  Indian  name  of  the 
place  was  McGwinn's  Village.  McGwinn  here  lived, 
died,  and  was  buried.  The  first  settlers  retained  few 
Indian  names.  Distance  from  Crown  Point,  six  miles. 
ROSS — 1857. 

Forty  acres  of  land  are  here  laid  out  in  town  lots,  all 
south  of  the  railroad.  Many  lots  are  yet  unimproved. 
The  village  lies  on  the  Joliet  Cut-Off,  on  which  road  it 
is  a  station.  Number  of  families,  13.  Store,  i  ;  black- 
smith, I  ;  shoemaker,  i  ;  carpenter's  shop,  i  ;  plasterer, 
I  ;  saloon^  none.  This  place  is  the  residence  of  Amos 
Hornor,  Esq.,  an  early  settler  near  Cedar  Lake,  who  has 
here  a  clothes  drier  factory  in  successful  operation,  the 
machine  being  patented  and  of  his  own  invention. 
Many  families  in  the  county  have  been  supplied  with 
these  very  useful  machines. 

There  has  also  resided  here  for  the  last  twelve  years, 
Rev.  George  A.  Woodbridge,  who  settled  near  A. 
Humphrey's,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Winfield,  in  1839, 
and  who  spent  two  or  three  years  in  Crown  Point.  A 
native  of  Connecticut,  a  graduate  of  Yale,  a  New  Eng- 
land Congregationalist,  he  has  spent  these  years  in  almost 
entire  seclusion  from  the  busy  and   the  religious  world. 


154  LAKE    COUNTY. 

He  has  a  large  library — large  for  this  region — and  his 
books  and  periodicals  have  kept  him  well  informed.  In 
October  he  will  be  eighty  years  of  age,  and  retains  the 
use  well  of  his  senses  and  faculties,  working  in  his  gar- 
den with  as  much  apparent  activity  as  a  man  of  sixty. 

Ross  is  on  a  ridge  of  sand.  The  woods  around  abound 
in  huckleberries,  and  some  of  the  marshes  in  cranberries. 

It  is  not  a  place  of  much  business.  It  contains  a 
school  house,  but  no  church.  The  wells  are  dug  here, 
not  driven.  The  water  is  partly  soft,  and  is  quite  cold 
and  good.  Depth  of  wells  from  twelve  to  twenty-two 
feet.     Distance  of  Ross  from  Crown  Point,  eight  miles. 

ROBERTSDALE    STATION. 

This  is  a  small   place  of  four  or  five  families,  on  the 
Michigan  Southern  Railroad.     No  business  done. 
ST.    JOHNS — 1846. 

Number  of  families,  27.  One  store,  i  tavern,  i  dress- 
make,  2  wagon  shops,  2  blacksmiths'  shops,  2  tailors,  3 
carpenters,  and  4  shoemakers.  Distance  from  Crown 
Point,  six  miles.  This  is  a  Catholic  village.  Its  one 
store  does  a  large  business.  Prairie  West,  of  which  it  is 
the  business  and  religious  centre,  is  thickly  settled  up 
with  an  industrious,  thrifty,  prospering  German  Catholic 
population.  Near  this  village  the  first  German  family 
of  the  county  settled;  and  not  far  from  it, on  a  beautiful 
elevation  in  the  prairie,  the  Hack  family  cemetery,  con- 
taining one  of  the  finest  gray  marble  monuments  in  the 
county,  arrests  the  eye  of  the  traveler.  In  this  village  is 
the  large  brick  Church  of  St.  John,  the  Evangelist,  with 
other  church  buildings,  and  here,  on  the  Sabbath  morn- 
ings, gathers   the  largest  congregation   in   Lake  county. 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  155 

There  are  here  some  good,  substantial  dwelling  houses, 
and  many  of  the  farm  houses  on  the  prairie  are  neat  and 
tasty.  Many  evidences  appear  of  the  abundance  and 
wealth  of  this  community,  of  the  existence  and  the  prac- 
tice of  patient  industry.  All  over  Prairie  West,  once  so 
destitute  of  fence,  and  house,  and  orchard,  and  grove, 
are  seen  its  results. 

SHERERVILLE 1 866. 

Miles  from  Crown  Point,  7;  number  of  families,  27; 
stores,  2 ;  shoemakers,  2 ;  saloons,  2 ;  shippers  of  live 
stock,  2  ;  a  tin  and  hardware  store,  and  of  the  folloAving 
trades  one  each :  Carpenter,  tailor,  cooper,  plasterer, 
saddler ;  also,  one  contractor,  and  one  physician,  one  grain 
warehouse,  and  a  lumber  yard.  This  village  has  grown 
up  rapidly.  It  has  a  thrifty  appearance.  It  is  on  the 
sand,  and  wells  are  obtained  by  "driving."  The  water 
is  quite  good. 

LIVERPOOL 1836. 

In  1835  or  1836  a  company  of  three  men,  John  C. 
Davis  and  Henry  Frederickson,  of  Philadelphia,  and 
John  B.  Chapman,  a  Western  man,  obtained  an  Indian 
float  located  on  the  Calumet,  and  laid  out  town  lots  for 
the  founding  of  a  western  city.  The  location  was  con- 
sidered to  be  favorable,  at  the  head  of  boat  navigation 
on  the  Calumet,  and  on  the  great  route  of  travel. 

In  1836  a  sale  of  lots  took  place,  and  the  sales,  in  three 
days,  amounted  to  $16,000.  J.  Wood  and  a  friend 
bought  lots  to  the  amount  of  $2,000.  A  deed  of  nine  of 
these  lots,  made  out  by  J.  B.  Niles,  as  attorney,  and 
acknoweledged  by  Samuel  C.  Sample,  the  first  Judge  of 
Circuit  Court   in   this   region,  is  preserved   among  other 


156  LAKE    COUNTY. 

papers  at  Deep  River.  In  1834  or  1835,  a  ferryboat 
was  placed  on  the  Calumet  at  Liverpool,  and  a  hotel  was 
there  opened  in  1835.  The  location  of  this  town  was 
about  three  miles  westward  and  north  from  the  present 
town  of  Hobart. 

In  1836  George  Earl,  of  Falmouth,  England,  then  from 
Philadelphia,  came  with  his  family  to  Liverpool,  and  soon 
became  the  proprietor  of  all  that  region.  He  resided  in 
Liverpool  until  1847.  For  about  nine  months,  probably 
in  1837,  the  stage  route  from  Detroit  to  Chicago  passed 
through  this  place.  Also  for  six  months,  in  1837,  a  line 
of  stages  was  run  from  Michigan  City  to  Joliet.  This 
line,  not  paying,  was  discontinued.  The  other  was 
changed  to  the  North  Road.  In  1837  the  Pottawatomies, 
a  powerful  Indian  tribe,  passed  through  this  place  on 
their  way  to  the  more  distant  West. 

In  1838 — 1839  a  charter  was  secured  from  the  Legis- 
lature for  a  toll  bridge.  A  store  was  opened  here  about 
1840.     Few  families,  however,  came. 

In  1839  Liverpool  became  the  county  seat  of  Lake 
-county.  A  court  house  was  erected  and  nearly  com- 
pleted, but  in  1840  a  re-location  took  place  ;  Crown  Point, 
or  rather  as  it  then  was,  Solon,  Robinson's  rival  village, 
obtained  the  location,  and  this  building  was  sold,  floated 
down  the  Calumet  to  Blue  Island,  and  set  up  in  1846,  for 
a  tavern.  "And  with  it,"  writes  Solon  Robinson,  "has 
gone  almost  the  last  hope  of  a  town  at  that  place." 

In  1847,  the  Earle  family  removed  to  what  has  since 
become  the  flourishing  town  of  Hobart.  At  present  two 
families  reside  at  the  old  Liverpool  site,  and  two  others 
at  the  railroad  crossing  not  far  away. 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  157 

INDIANA    CITY 1836. 

This  was  another  of  our  early  towns.  I  have  been 
unable  to  find  out  exactly  when  it  was  commenced,  but 
give  it  this  date,  as  this  was  the  era  of  western  specula- 
tion, and  four  little  places  on  Lake  Michigan  were  about 
this  time  struggling  for  an  existence.  These  were  Chi- 
cago, Indiana  City,  City  West,  and  Michigan  City.  The 
first  was  in  Illinois,  the  second  in  Lake  County,  the  third 
in  Porter,  the  fourth  in  La  Porte.  To  them  might  well 
be  added  the  fifth — Liverpool,  on  the  Calumet.  And  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  no  ordinary  foresight  of 
man  could  then,  or  did  then,  see  much  difference  in  their 
chances  for  success.  Indiana  City  was  laid  out  by  a 
company  from  Columbus,  Ohio.  It  was  truly  a  "  paper 
city."  It  was  sold  in  1841,  for  ^14,000.  As  for  inhabi- 
tants, I  find  no  record  that  it  ever  had  any.  All  these 
five  places  may  be  found  on  Colton's  map  of  Indiana, 
compiled  from  "  authentic  sources,"  published  in  1853. 
Of  the  four  on  the  beach  of  the  lake,  Michigan  City  is 
now  quite  a  place  among  its  ever  changing  sand  banks ; 
Chicago  has  become  indeed  a  city ;  City  West  ceased  to 
be  in  about  1839.  and  Indiana  City,  except  on  paper,  and 
as  shown  by  laid  out  lots,  never  was.  An  Indian  half- 
breed  states  that  eighty-six  years  ago  traders  had  a  fur 
station  at  Liverpool.  In  less  than  half  as  many  years  to 
come  there  may  be  an  Indiana  City  at  the  mouth  of  the 
old  Calumet,  exceeding  in  size  and  wealth  all  the  exist- 
ing towns  and  villages  of  Lake.  Late  explorations  of  the 
Calumet  river  serve  to  show  that,  as  a  location,  it  is  favor- 
ably situated  for  the  growth  at  some  day  of  a  commercial 
emporium. 
13 


158  LAKE    COUNTY. 

DYER — 1857. 

This  village  is  dated  as  commencing  with  the  first 
store.  Two  or  three  houses  were  here  many  years  be- 
fore, and  a  tavern  in  1837,  or  earlier.  Present  number  of 
families,  50. 

Dyer  contains  a  large  flouring  mill,  a  grain  house, — 
and  it  has  the  name  of  being  the  best  grain  market  in  the 
county — a  lumber  yard,  a  sash,  door  and  blind  factory, 
a  wooden  shoe  factory,  and  a  tannery ;  grocery,  and 
dry  goods  stores,  2  ;  taverns,  3  ;  shoemakers,  2  ;  furniture 
stores,  2 ;  physicians,  2  ;  builder,  i  ;  wagon  shop,  i  ; 
blacksmiths,  2  ;  tinsmith,  i  ;  butcher,  i  ;  harness  maker, 
I  ;  saloons,  4. 

A  fine  Catholic  Church  and  parsonage  have  been 
erected  here,  and  there  are  two  school  houses.  A.  N. 
Hart,  now  doing  business  in  Chicago,  one  of  the  large 
land  owners  of  Lake  county,  resided  here  for  many 
years  with  his  family,  and  has  done  considerable  to  im- 
prove and  build  up  the  town.  Dubriels'  flouring  mill  at 
this  place  has  done  a  good  business. 

Thorn  Creek,  a  pretty  little  Illinois  stream,  enters  this 
county  at  Dyer,  but  after  winding  about  for  a  short  dis- 
tance, returns  again  to  the  lower  prairie  lands  of  Illi- 
nois. 

HOBART — 1849. 

Number  of  families,  95  ;  dry  goods  stores,  4  ;  hard- 
ware, I  ;  drug  store,  i  ;  furniture,  i  ;  agricultural  imple- 
ments, I  ;  bakery,  i  :  blacksmiths'  shops,  2  ;  Avagon  shop, 
L ;  harness  shop,  i ;  shoe  store,  i  ;  shoemakers'  shops,  3  ; 
cooper's  shop,  i  ;  millinery  store,  i  ;  dress  makers,  4  ; 
mill  wright,  i  ;  lawyer,    i  :  physicians,  3  ;  carpenters,  3  ; 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  159 

plasterer,  i  ;  livery  stable,  i  ;  gardener,  i;  notary  publics, 
2;  hotels,  3  ;  large  flouring  mill,  i. 

Hobart  contains  ten  brick  buildings.  It  has  a  brick 
school  house,  a  frame  church,  a  brick  church,  and  an  art 
gallery.  This  gallery,  the  property  of  Geo.  Earle,  now  of 
Philadelphia,  contains  about  three  hundred  paintings.  It 
is  the  only  collection  of  the  kind  in  the  county,  and  has 
been  visited  by  many  admirers  of  the  fine  arts.  It  reflects 
much  credit  upon  the  taste  of  the  cultivated  and  wealthy 
proprietor  of  this  town. 

ORGANIZATIONS    IN    HOHART. 

Hobart  Literary  Society,  organized  in  1871  ;  members, 
50;  meets  in  Methodist  Church,  Tuesday  evenings. 

M.  L.  McLellan  Lodge,  No.  357  ;  members,  62;  date 
of  1866.     Value  of  property,  $2000. 

Earle  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.  Number  ;^;^^,  date  1869. 
Value  of  property,  ^1000. 

Hobart  Real  Estate  and  Building  Company.  Capital 
$3000.     Dealers  in  real  estate.     W.  H.  Rifenburg  &:  Co. 

BandAssociation ;  members,  15  :  property,  $500. 

Trotting  Park  Association  ;  capital,  $200. 

Hobart  is  located  on  the  Pittsburg  and  Fort  Wayne 
Railroad,  and  its  great  branch  of  industry  is  brickmaking. 
There  are  four  yards  which  turn  out  of  pressed  brick  per 
day  some  60,000.  These  yards  give  employment  to  one 
hundred  persons,  and  pay  out  per  month  to  the  work- 
men $4000. 

The  Railroad  Company  pays  out  monthly  about  $700. 
A  wax  candle  factory  has  also  been  started  at  Hobart, 
which  promises  success.  This  factory,  and  the  brick 
yards,  and  the  art  gallery,  showing  useful  arts  and  fine 
arts,  are  well  worth  visiting. 


l6o  LAKE    COUNTY. 

There  seems  to  be  in  Hobart  the  atmosphere  of  a  city, 
It  has  changed  remarkably  from  what  it  was  in  earlier 
days.  Population  now  500.  Distant  from  Crown  Point, 
twelve  miles. 

John  G.  Earle  has  erected  here  a  fine  dwelling  house 
and  makes  this  place  his  home.  The  senator  of  Lake  and 
Porter  counties,  Hon.  C.  R.  Wadge,  also  resides  at  Ho- 
bart. 

LOWELL — 1852. 

M.  A.  Halsted,  who,  with  his  wife  and  mother,  came 
into  this  county  from  Dayton,  Ohio,  in  1845,  and  settled 
on  a  farm  in  West  Creek  To^v'nship,  is  the  proper  founder 
of  the  town  of  Lowell. 

i\.ccording  to  the  Claim  Register,  one  John  P.  Hoff,  of 
New  York  City,  purchased  "  Mill  seat  on  Cedar  Creek," 
Range  9,  Town  33,  Section  23,  which  is  the  section  on 
which  Lowell  now  stands,  Oct.  7th,  1836.  He  registered 
his  claim  October  8th,  and  also  claims  for  four  others 
from  New  York  City  were  registered  the  same  day^in 
sections  22,  23  and  24.  None  of  these  city  men  seem  to 
have  actually  settled  ;  instead  of  these  I  find  the  names  of 
Wm.  A.  Purdy,  H.  R.  Nichols,  J.  Mendenhall,  and  Jabez 
Clark.  But  the  "  mill  seat  "  remained  unimproved  till 
about  1850,  It  is  a  somewhat  singular  coincidence  that 
the  first  claimant  of  a  mill  seat  on  Sect.  23,  T.  33,  R.  9, 
should  have  been  named  Halstead.  According  to  the 
claim  register,  Samuel  Halstead  first  entered  here  "  Tim- 
ber and  Mill-seat."  The  claim  was  made  August,  1835, 
and  was  registered  November  26,  1836.  There  is  added, 
"  This  claim  was  sold  to  and  registered  by  J.  P.  Hoff, 
October  8,  who  has  not  complied  with  his  contract,  and 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  l6l 

therefore  forfeits  his  claim  to  it."  And  under  date  of 
November  29,  1836,  the  record  is  "Transferred  to  James 
M.  Whitney  and  Mark  Burroughs  for  ^212." 

Number  of  families,  106;  dry-goods  stores,  4;  drug 
stores,  2  ;  hardware  stores,  2 ;  millinery  establishments, 
2  ;  dress  makers,  2  ;  jeweler,  i ;  shoemaker's  shops,  2  ; 
barber's  shops,  2  ;  harness  shop,  i  ;  blacksmith's  shops,  5  ; 
wagon  shops,  3  ;  cooper  shop,  i ;  meat  market,  i  ;  bakery, 
I  ;  cabinet  shop,  i  ;  agricultural  store,  i  ;  saloons,  2  ;  pho- 
tograph gallery,  i  ;  livery  stable,  i  ;  hotels,  2  ;  notary  pub- 
lics, 2 ;  attorney  i  ;  physicians,  4 ;  cigar  factory,  i  ; 
churches,  3. 

The  flouring  mill  at  this  place  does  a  large  custom 
work  and  sends  off  quite  an  amount  of  flour.  It  has  two 
runs  of  stone,  and  grinds  in  the  spring  time  some  275 
bushels  of  feed  per  day,  and  in  a  good  season,  150  bush- 
els of  wheat  on  a  single  run  of  stone.  Lepin  and  West- 
erman  are  the  enterprising  proprietors.  A  large  factory 
building  has  been  erected  at  this  place  at  a  cost  of  $8000. 
It  is  three  stories  high,  80  feet  by  50,  of  brick,  and  is  the 
largest  building  in  the  county. 

The  school  house  at  Lowell  is  also  of  brick,  a  large 
two-story  building,  the  largest  and  best  furnished  school 
house  in  the  county.  Cost  of  house  and  furniture  $8,000. 
Both  of  these  buildings  were  erected  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  M.  A.  Halsted.  All  of  the  churches  in  this 
town  are  of  brick.  Whole  number  of  brick  buildings 
eight.  A  printing  office  has  been  established  here  this 
year,  which  publishes  the  hotuell  Star,  edited  by  E. 
R.  Beebe. 


l62  LAKE    COUNTY. 

ASSOCIATIONS. 

Colfax  Lodge — Masonic;  number  378;  members,  60. 
Value  of  property,  $i6co. 

Lowell  Lodge  L  O.  O.  F. ;  number  245  ;  members,  60. 

Temperance  Lodge  No.  22,  Independent  Order  Good 
Templars.     Members    160,  and  increasing  quite  rapidly. 

Lowell  Grange  of  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  No.  6.  Mem- 
bers 80. 

The  first  store,  and  first  tavern  in  the  place  were 
opened  by  J.  Thorn,  about  1852.  It  has  now  a  growth  of 
about  twenty  years.  Its  water  power  is  good,  supplied  by 
three  different  ponds.  Cedar  Lake  also  being  used  as  a 
water  reservoir.  It  lacks  an  element  which  has  so  largely 
stimulated  the  growth  of  Hobart  and  Crown  Point,  rail- 
road communication  with  the  world.  Distance  from 
Crown  Point,  eleven  miles.  It  is  located  in  the  heart  of 
the  best  farming  region  of  Lake.  Population  of  Lowell 
550.  J.  W.  Viant  and  W.  Sigler,  have  sold  at  this  place 
large  quantities  of  goods. 

CROWN  POINT — 1840. 

The  early  history  of  this  town  has  been  already  given, 
and  the  growth  to  which  it  had  attained  in  1847,  has 
been  mentioned.  Its  growth,  until  the  railroad  came, 
was  slow.  M.  M.  Mills  built  what  is  now  called  the 
Rockwell  House,  in  1842.  Joseph  Jackson  removed 
from  West  Creek  to  Crown  Point,  in  October,  1846, 
renting  that  house  for  five  years.  In  1847,  he  was  elected 
Auditor,  and  his  son-in-law,  Z.  P.  Farley,  came  up  to 
town  and  went  into  the  hotel.  In  1848,  Wm.  Alton  built 
the  brick  store-house  now  occupied  by  Meyers  &  Bier- 
lin  ;  and,  in  1849,  Z.  P.  Farley  and  Clinton  Jackson  built 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  1 63 

the  bakery,  also  of  brick,  in  the  upper  room  of  which 
was  the  first  office  of  the  Register.  These  were  the 
first  business  buildings  built  of  brick. 

In  1S51,  Z.  P.  Farley  built  the  Hack  House,  and  this 
hotel  was  kept  by  J.  Jackson  and  Z.  P.  Farley,  for  the 
next  five  years. 

The  present  Court  House  bears  the  date  of  1849  ; 
George  Earle,  architect;  Jeremy  Hixon,  builder. 

In  1858,  the  following  brick  buildings  were  erected  : 
The  dwelling  houses  of  Z.  P.  Farley,  J.  G.  Hoffman,  and 
J.  Wheeler,  and  the  three  story  building  containing  the 
Register  office  and  Masonic  Hall.  The  county  offices 
were  built  the  following  year.  The  brick  school  house 
also  bears  the  date  of  1859. 

After  the  completion  of  the  railroad,  in  1865,  good 
buildings  went  up  quite  rapidly.  Dr.  A.  J.  Pratt's  resi- 
dence, erected  in  1868,  covers  an  area  of  two  thousand, 
three  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet,  and  cost  nearly 
$5,000.  This,  and  the  Nicholson  mansion,  built  in  1869, 
are  the  two  most  costly  dwelling  houses  as  yet  erected. 
The  neat  residences  of  J.  H.  Prier  and  W.  Nicholson,  the 
latter  costing  $4,000,  were  built  in  1870.  Among  the 
more  elegant  dwellings  erected  in  1871,  may  be  named 
the  residences  of  F.  S.  Bedell,  covering  an  area  of  two 
thousand  and  forty  feet,  costing  about  $4,000,  and  of  Z. 
F.  Summers,  Judge  Turner,  and  T.  J.  Wood,  each  cost- 
ing some  $3,000.  The  new  dwellings  of  Hon.  Martin 
Wood  and  Major  E.  Griffin,  the  latter  not  yet  finished, 
belong  to  the  year  1872. 

In  the  spring  of  1868  the  town  was  duly  incorporated, 
divided  into   three  wards,  and   trustees   and   a  marshal 


164  LAKE    COUNTY. 

were  elected  by  the  citizens.  Three  School  Trustees 
have  the  charge  of  the  public  schools.  They  employ 
four  teachers  at  the  "  Brick,"  and  two  at  the  "  Institute." 

Number  of  families  in  Crown  Point,  293  :  total  popu- 
lation, 1300.  Industrial  and  professional  pursuits  are 
represented  thus : 

Lumber  yards,  2  ;  brick  yard,  i  ;  broom  factory,  i 
brewery,  i  ;  agricultural  stores,  4 ;  dry  goods  stores,  2 
grocery  stores,  3  ;  general  dealers,  3  ;  merchant  tailors,  2 
confection  shops,  2  ;  clothing  store,  i  ;  hardware  stores 
2  ;  drug  stores,  2  ;  milliner  shops,  3  ;  ladies'  furnishing 
I  ;  harness  shops,  2 ;  bakeries,  2  ;  furniture  stores,  2 
shoe  store,  i  ;  shoe  shops,  4  ;  wagon   shops,   3  ;  tannery 

1  ;  blacksmiths'  shops,  5  ;  railroad  repair  shop,  i ;  door 
sash,  and  blind  factory,  i  ;  planing  mill,  i;  grain  houses,  2 
hotels,  3  ;  eating  house,  1  ;  jewelers  and  watchmakers,  2 
egg  and  poultry  dealer,  i  ;  carpenters,  14  ;  plasterers,  6 
painters,  6 ;  paint  and  oil  store,  i  ;  saloons,  8  ;  photo- 
graph gallery,  i  ;  meat  markets,  2  ;  hay  barns  and  presses, 

2  ;  cooper  shop,  i;  coal  yard,  i ;  gunsmith,  i  ;  tin  shops,  2  ; 
school  buildings,  3  ;  church  buildings,  6 ;  county  offi- 
cers residing  in  town,  6 ;  clergymen  in  town,  6 ;  newspa- 
pers published,  2  ;  dentists,  2;  practicing  physicians,  4; 
lawyers,  13. 

ORGANIZATIONS. 

Lake  Lodge,  No.  157,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  organized  1853  ; 
value  of  property,  $2500  ;  number  of  members,  88. 

Lincoln  Chapter,  No.  53,  R.  A.  M.;  date,  1865  ;  num- 
ber of  members,  34;  value  of  property,  $1000. 

Crown  Point  Lodge,  No.  195,  I.  O.  O.  F.;  value  of 
property,  $750;  number  of  members,  50, 


TOWNS    AND    VILLAGES.  165 

Grove  City  Encampment,  No.  ii6,  I.  O.  O.  F.  ;  num- 
ber of  members,  22;  organized  March  13,  1872. 

Crown  Point  Sing  Verein ;  organized  in  August,  1868  • 
number  of  members,  32;  value  of  property,  $1000. 

Crown  Point  Fire  Company ;  organized  January  i, 
1872  ;  engine  and  hose  owned  by  the  town  ;  value,  $2000  ; 
number  of  members,  40. 

Band  Company  ;  number  of  members,  11. 

SUMMARY. 

Number  of  towns  and  villages,  25.  Number  of  fami- 
lies residing  in  towns,  860.  Number  of  town  inhabit- 
ants, about  4400. 


14 


l66  LAKE    COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FACTS    AN]:)    FIGURES. 

In  this  chapter,  and  under  this  heading,  will  be  found 
arranged,  for  preservation  and  reference,  facts  concern- 
ing our  various  social,  literary,  and  religious  organiza- 
tions, dLX\^  fipo-es  showing  our  past  and  present  condition 
in  material  interests,  all  of  which  ought  to  be  of  general 
interest  to  the  citizens.  And  if  this  chapter  should  not 
be  considered  at  present  as  readable  as  some  others,  I 
apprehend  that  in  future  years  many  will  refer  to  it  with 
interest. 

LAKE     COUNTY    TEMPERANCE    SOCIETY. 

In  June,  1841,  by  the  efforts  of  three  individuals, — 
Solon  Robinson,  Norman  Warriner,  and  Hervey  Ball,  a 
temperance  society,  bearing  the  above  name,  was  organ- 
ized at  Crown  Point.  Its  meetings  were  held  in  the  log 
court  house,  and  were  very  interesting  and  well  attended. 
It  accomplished,  in  its  day,  much  good  ;  and,  about  1849 
or  1850,  it  was  discontinued,  the  ground  being  then  occu- 
pied by  a  division  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance. 

SONS    OF    TEMPERANCE. 

About  184S,  a  division  of  this  order  was  organized  in 
Crown  Point,  which  accomplished  good  in  its  day,  accu- 
mulated some  funds,  completed  its  work  and  disbanded, 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  167 

leaving,  on  a  memorial  stone  in  the  brick  school  house, 
the  following  as  its  last  record  : 

"In  memory  of  Crown  Point  Division  No.  133,  Sons 
of  Temperance,  who  donated  $1000  to  the  erection  of 
this  building,  1859." 

GOOD    TEMPLARS. 

In  December,  1855,  the  first  lodge  of  Good  Templars 
in  the  county  was  organized  at  Crown  Point.  This 
flourished  for  some  time,  but  at  length  went  down. 
Other  lodges  of  the  same  order  succeeded  it  in  Crown 
Point,  and  in  Hobart,  Centreville,  Tinkerville,  and 
Towell,  none  of  which  are  now  in  existance,  except  Tem- 
perance Lodge,  at  Lowell. 

THE     ALLIANCE. 

In  187 1,  the  last  temperance  organization  at  Crown 
Point  was  formed,  known  as  the  Lake  County  Temper- 
ance Alliance. 

"lake    COUNTY    AGRICULTURAL    SOCIETY. 

The  first  meeting  to  organize  an  Agricultural  Society 
in  Lake  County  was  held  at  the  Court  House  in  Crown 
Point,  August  27th,  185 1.  William  Clark  was  President 
of  the  meeting,  and  Harvey  Pettibone,  Secretary.  The 
meeting  appointed  a  committee,  consisting  of  Hervey 
Ball,  John  Church,  and  David  Turner,  to  draft  a  Consti- 
tution and  By-Laws  for  tlie  government  of  the  society. 
The  meeting  then  adjourned  to  the  30th  of  the  same 
month,  when  the  committee  reported  a  constitution, 
which  was  adopted.  The  meeting  then  adjourned  until 
the  next  Thursday,  when  an  election  was  held,  and  the 
following  officers  duly  elected  : 

President — Hervey  Ball, 

Vice-President — \V i l li  a m  Clark. 

Treasurer- — J.  W.   Dinwiddie. 

Secretary — Joseph  P.  Smith. 


l68  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Also  the  following  Directors  : 

Center  Township — Henry  Wells. 

West  Creek — A.   I).  Foster. 
Eagle  Creek — Michael  Pierce. 
St.  Johns — H.  Keilman. 

Winficld — Augustine  Humphrey. 
Ross — William  N.  Sykes. 

At  a  subsequent  meeting  it  was  agreed  to  hold  the  first 
Fair  on  Thursday,  October  28th,  1852,  and  the  sum  of 
one  hundred  dollars  was  appropriated  for  premiums;  but 
when  the  list  was  made  out,  it  only  amounted  to  $93. 

The  first  Annual  Fair  was  held  as  per  order,  on  the 
28th  of  October,  1852,  and  the  total  number  of  entries 
made  was  sixty-nine,  and  the  total  number  of  premiums 
awarded  was  thirty,  amounting  in  all  to  the  sum  of  $48. 
The  printing  for  this  Fair  was  done  by  Wm.  C.  Talcott, 
of  Valparaiso,  for  which  he  presented  a  bill  of  $8,  which 
was  duly  allowed.  The  same  President  and  Secretary 
were  re-elected  each  year,  up  to  and  including  the  sixth 
Annual  Fair. 

The  second  Fair  continued  two  days,  and  was  held  on 
the  27th  and  28th  days  of  October,  1853  ;  and  the  premi- 
ums awarded  at  that  Fair  amounted  to  $61.75. 

During  the  7th  and  8th  Annual  Fairs,  A.  D.  Foster 
was  President,  and  E.  M.  Cramer,  Secretary.  The  8th 
Fair  was  held  on  the  4th,  5th,  and  6th  days  of  October, 
1859,  after  the  close  of  which,  I  find  no  record  of  any 
further  meetings  of  the  society  until  July  20th,  1867.  In 
i860,  the  political  excitement  ran  high,  and  immediately 
thereafter  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  so  that  the 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  169 

attention  of  farmers  Vas  drawn  away  from  agricultural 
fairs  to  the  all-absorbing  affairs  of  the  nation.  At  the 
meeting  of  July  20th,  1867,  the  Society  was  re-organ- 
ized, and  elected  Hiram  Wason,  President;  Bartlett 
Woods,  Vice-President;  J.  C.  Sauerman,  Treasurer,  and 
A.  E.  Beattie,  Secretary.  Under  the  management  of 
these  officers  the  9th  Annual  Fair  was  held  on  the  2d, 
3d,  and  4th  days  of  October,  1867.  Since  then  our  An- 
nual Fair  has  been  one  of  the  fixed  institutions  of  the 
county,  and  has  increased  in  interest  and  magnitude 
each  year.  The  14th  Annual  Fair  is  to  be  held  on  Wed- 
nesday, Thursday,  and   Friday,  the   nth,  12th,  and   13th 

of  September,  1872. 

Job  Barnard." 

lake  county  sap.hath  school  convention. 

Record. — "  A  few  superintendants,  teachers,  and 
friends  of  Sabbath  Schools  in  Lake  County,  met  at 
Crown  Point,  September  i6th,  1865,  for  the  purpose  of 
forming  a  Convention  in  accordance  with  a  call  given  at 
the  celebration  at  Cedar  Lake.  On  motion.  Rev.  R.  B. 
Young  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  H.  B.  Austin  chosen 
Secretary.  *  *  *  *  Some  articles  for  adoption 
were  offered  by  Judge  Ball,  and  the  following  were 
adopted.  *  *  *  *  Xhe  officers  elected  were  Hervey 
Ball,  President;  Rev.  R.  B.  Young,  Vice-President ;  Rev. 
J.  L.  Lower,  Secretary;  M.  A.  Halsted,  Treasurer." 

Rev.  H.  Wason  was  the  second  President ;  Rev.  R.  B. 
Young  the  third  and  the  present  one.  Rev.  T.  H.  Ball 
was  elected  Secretary  in  1866,  and  has  so  continued  until 
the  present  time. 

The  following  table  gives  the  names  of  the  schools,  or 


170  LAKE    COUNTY. 

places  where  held,  of  the  present  5'e^r,  with  the  date  of 
first  organization,  so  far  as  known,  and  the  ])resent  mem- 
bership in  round  numbers. 

Date.  Members. 

Crown  Point    Presbyterian 1840  75 

Crown  Point  Methodist  Episcopal 184;]  100 

Cedar  Lake 1845  40 

South  East  Grove 1845  40 

Deer   Creek 1846  55 

Orchard    Grove 1849  40 

Cedar  Lake  (German) 1850  50 

Buncombe  Union 1851  30 

Hobart  _._ 1851  70 

Plum  Grove .. 1852  Not  in  session. 

Lowell  Union 1857  Closed  in  1871. 

Lake    Prairie 1857  40 

Jones  School  House 1850  30 

Crown  Point  Baptist 1860  40 

Bryant's  School  House 1869  50 

Centreville 30 

Eagle    Creek 25 

Prairie  View 60 

Pleasant  Prairie 50 

Hui'lburt  School  House 50 

Vincent's  School  House — —  60 

Hickory  Top 40 

Ensign's  School  House 25 

Lake  Station 25 

Kessville 30 

Fuller's  School  House 25 

Livingston  School  House — ■ —  40 

Lowell  Methodist  Episcopal 1871  50 

Robinson's  Prairie 30 

Underwood  School   House 60 

Adam's  School    House 40 

Total   membership 1310 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  171 

Number  of  children  between  six  and  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  in  the  townships,  as  reported  officially  for  1872. 
North,  592;  Hobart,  299;  Ross,  625;  St.  Johns,  585; 
Hanover,  376;  Centre,  340;  Winfield,  232;  West  Creek, 
400  ;  Cedar  Creek,  465  ;  Eagle  Creek,  232  ;  Town  of 
Crown  Point,  439.  (The  latter  number  would  increase 
the  number  in  Centre   Township   to    779).     Total,  4585. 

The  order  of  the  townships  in  population,  estimated 
according  to  the  number  of  children,  will  then  be  the 
following  :  Centre,  Ross,  North,  St.  Johns,  Cedar  Creek, 
West  Creek,  Hanover,  Hobart ;  Winfield  and  Eagle  Creek 
being  the  last  in  the  order  and  equal  in  number. 

The  following  table  gives  the  names,  so  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  obtain  them,  of  those  who  have  gone  forth 
from  our  county  to  attend  the  higher  institutions  of 
learning. 

Names  of  graduates  are  given  first,  with  names  of  in- 
stitution and  date  of  graduating. 

T.  H.  Ball _._FrankIin  College,  1850 

Henry  Humphrey University  of  Michigan,  1851- 

Milton  Blayney Wabash  College,  1861 

Henry  Johnson Hanover  College,  1872 

Leila  G.  Robinson Phipps  Union  Seminary,  1857 

Mary  Jane  Ball Ladoga  Seminary,  1859 

Henrietta  Ball Indianapolis  Female  Institute,  1861 

Fannie  C.  Vanhoutcn "  "  ''  1862 

Sarah  J.  Turner Oxford  Female  Seminary,  1868 

Nannie  Wason "  "  "  1871 

MKDICAI,    GRADUATES. 

John  Higgins La  Porte  Medical  College,  1846 

Samuel  R.  Pratt University  of  Michigan,  1860 

Stephen  S.  Farrington ''•  "  "  1867 

Frederick  Castle__. "  "  "  1869 


172  LAKE    COUNTY. 

J.  W.Johns Chicago  Medical,  1869 

A.  Tillotson Bennett  Medical,  1871 

H.  H.  Pratt Rush  Medical,  1872 

H.  A.  Castle Indiana  Medical,  1872 

A.  Vincent  _ Chicago  Hom(iepathic,  1872 

THEOLOGICAL    GRADUATES. 

Henry  Humphrey Princeton,  1860 

T.  H.  Ball Newton  Theological  Institution,  1863 

LAW    GRADIATES. 

James  H.  Ball University  of  Chicago,  1871 

T.  S.  Fancher University  of  Michigan,  1871 

J.  W,  Youche „  „  1872 

Milton  Barnard „  „  1872 

NORMAL    (GRADUATES. 

William  Dubriel Englewood  Normal,  1872 

NOW    PURSUING   A    REGULAR    LITERARY    COURSE. 

J.  H.  Dowd Junior  Class,  State  University,  Bloomington 

J.  A.  Burhans Sophomore  Class,  Indiana  Asbury  University 

ENTERED   THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY    AT    CHICAGO. 

Henry  Johnson 1872 

LITERARY    COURSE   NOT    COMPLETED. 

E.  J.   Farwell Wabash  College 

H.  G.  Bliss 

Charles  Ball Franklin  College 

James  H.  Ball "  " 

John  Wood,.. 

Alex.  McDonald Notre  Dame 

Ambrose  McDonald "         " 

O.  Dinwiddle University  of  Chicago 

Milton  Hart University  of  Michigan 

J.W.Hart 

Abbott  Wason Wabash  College 

E.Ames. 

Charles  Holton " 

Henry  Pettibone Hanover  College 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  1 73 

COURSE   NOT    COMPLETED. 

Mary  E.  Pelton Ontario  Female  Seminary 

Martha  B.  Sanger ■ 

Helen  Clark "  '"  " 

Lucina  Brannon Oxford  Female  Seminary 

Annie  Gerrish "  "  " 

Mary  E.  Merrill Englewood  Normal 

Loe  R.  Thomas. Terre  Haute  Normal. 

OXFORD  STUDENTS  OF  THIS  YEAR. 

Cordelia  Wood,  Emma  Turner, 

Ruth  Ann  Pettibone,  MariahWason, 

Annie  M.  Turner,  Henrietta  Bridgman. 

EXTRACTS    FROM  THE   MARRRIAGE   RECORD    OF    LAKE 
COUNTY. 

No.  I. — Solomon  Russell  to  Rosina  Barnard.  Mar- 
ried March  9,  1837,  by  S.  Robinson,  J.  P. 

(The  county  was  organized  February  15,  1837.  Li- 
cense obtained  at  Valparaiso). 

No.  2. — Lorenzo  O.  Beebe  to  Betsey  Prentice.  March 
12,  1837,  by  A.  L.  Ball,  J.  P. 

No.  3. — John  Russell  to  Harriet  Holton.  October  19, 
1837,  by  William  F.  Talbot,  X.  D.  M. 

No.  4. — David  M.  Dille  to  Loretta  Lilley.  October 
24,  H.  Taylor,  J-  B. 

No.  6. — Charles  Woods  to  Mary  Ann  Russell.  March 
15,  1838,  by  H.  Taylor,  J.  P. 

No.  10. — Thomas  Clark  and  Harriet  Lavina  Farwell. 
January  23,  1839,  by  Hon.  H.  D.  Palmer,  Associate 
Judge. 

No.  12. — Alfred  ]).  F"oster  and  Emeline  Hathaway. 
April  4,  1839,  by  E.  W.  Bryant,  J.  P. 

No.  25. — E.  S.  Townsend    and   Eliza  Edd\'.      Decern- 


174  I.AKF.    COUXTV. 

ber  17,  1839,  by  Rev.  W.  R.  Marshall,  Minister  of  the 
Gospel,  of  La  Porte. 

Up  to  this  time  every  marriage  ceremony  in  the  county 
except  one  had  been  performed  by  a  civil  officer.  And 
afterwards  no  minister  appears  till  number  49,  November 
25,  1841,  when  A.  Morrison's  name  is  recorded. 

No.  50  is  by  Robert  M.  Hyde,  M.  G. 

No.  55  is  by  Norman  Warriner,  March  3,  1842. 

Up  to  this  time  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  ministers  in 
this  region  were  few. 

November  28,  1842,  is  tlie  first  record  of  the  name,  as 
an  officiating  clergyman,  of  Rev.  J.  C.  IJrown  ;  and  De- 
cember 22,  1842,  is  found  the  name  of  Rev.  W.  Blain. 

FIRST    MASONIC    LODGE. 

Dispensation  dated  November  11,  1853  ;  six  members  : 
H.  Ball,  John  Wood,  H.  S.  Holton,  W.  A.  Clark,  W.  G. 
McGlashon,  and  J.  H.  Luther.  Charter  granted  May 
24,  1854.  Hervey  Ball,  ^\'.  ]\L  from  1853  to  1857.  Whole 
number  of  master  masons  up  to  this  date,  164.  First  ma- 
sonic burial  was  that  of  W.  C.  Farrington.  in  1856.  Ser- 
mon preached  by  Rev.  T.  H.  Ball.  Text,  John  xiv  :  6. 
"  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and 
the  life  ;  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  me." 
Other  masonic  burials  have  been  of  the  following  mem- 
bers of  Lake  Lodge :  John  Wheeler,  July,  1863  ;  D. 
Crumbacker,  1864;  Charles  Ball,  September,  1865;  C. 
Kurtz,  March,  1867;  James  B.  I'urner,  August,  1867; 
Hervey  Ball,  October,  1868;  A.  E.  Beattie,  October, 
1869;  J.  E.  Fraas,  May,  1871;  A.  Sanford,  December, 
1871  ;  S.  S.  Farrington,  May,  1872. 


FACTS    AND    FKIL'RES.  1 75 

LITERARY    SOCIETIES. 

In  countries  that  enjoy  constitutional  liberty,  voluntary 
associations  for  intellectual  improvement  are  common 
and  useful.  Next  to  schools  for  the  young  come  their 
literary  societies.  Before  either,  in  importance,  are, 
sometimes,  the  home  training  and  private  reading. 

In  Lake  County  a  number  of  these  societies  have  been 
organized.  I  think  that  as  early  as  1840  a  debating 
club  met  for  some  time  at  the  house  of  Solon  Robinson. 
But  the  first  one  organized  for  the  young,  and  of  which 
there  are  existing  records,  I  suppose  to  be 

THE    CEDAR    LAKE    LYCEUM, 

The  date  or  its  organization  is  February,  1S46  ;  and  a 
grand  day  it  was  for  the  youth  of  Cedar  Lake,  Prarie 
West,  and  West  Creek,  when  it  started  into  existence. 
For  a  group  of  boys  in  these  localities,  at  least  five  of 
whom  are  now  active  professional  and  business  men,  be- 
tween the  ages  of  thirty  and  fifty,  in  the  East,  the  West, 
and  the  Far  West,  it  accomplished,  in  the  cultivation  of 
a  literary  taste  and  in  promoting  a  desire  for  thorough 
mental  culture,  what  money  could  not  purchase.  A 
number  ol  its  members  are  dead  ;  but  the  living  can  never 
forget  its  pleasant  and  profitable  exercises.  Next  in  or- 
der I  name 

THE    CEDAR    LAKE    KELLES-LETTRES    SOCIETY. 

Which  included  girls  also  among  its  members,  met  only 
once  each  month,  and  required  the  chief  attention  of  its 
members  to  be  given  to  writing.  The  date  of  its  organi- 
zation is  1847. 

One  of  the  memorable  addresses  delivered  before  this 


176  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Society  was  by  Solon  Robinson,  in  wliich  lie  ]jaid  a  high 
compliment  to  the  culture  manifested  in  his  note  of  in- 
vitation, and  referred  to  his  having  met  the  Indians  there, 
for  some  consultation,  not  many  years  before.  The  Cor- 
responding Secretary  at  that  time  was  noted  for  her  beau- 
tiful penmanship.  She  afterwards  became  the  wife  of 
Munson  Church,  of  Prairie  West,  and  after  discharging 
her  duties  for  several  years  as  a  wife  and  mother,  she 
many  years  ago,  died.  I  think  that  not  more  than  two 
girls  in  Lake  county  have  ever  excelled  her  in  penman- 
ship. Like  many  others  of  our  early  dead,  she  sleeps  al- 
most forgotten  by  the  living.  I  record  here  her  given 
name,  the  name  of  that  rare  but  lovely  virtue.  Charity. 

The  third  of  these  organizations  was  formed  at  Crown 
Point,  in  the  log  court  house,  by  young  persons  from 
Cedar  Lake  and  Prairie  West,  with  a  few  at  Crown  Point. 
Date  of  organization,  1848. 

This  was  designed  to  be  a  Lake  County  Literary  Soci- 
ety, but  there  was  not  at  that  time  a  sutficient  literary 
spirit  at  Crown  Point  to  aid  in  keeping  up  such  an  organi- 
:zation,  and  its  originators,  therefore,  let  it  die.  Li  these 
later  years  there  have  been  societies  at  Brunswick,  Tink- 
erville,  Lowell,  Orchard  Grove,  Plum  Grove,  South  East 
'Grove,  Hickory  Point,  Pleasant  Prairie,  DeepRiver,  Mer- 
rillville,,  Hobart,  and  Crown  Point,  with  the  names  and 
(dates  of  which  the  secretaries  have  not  thought  to  fur- 
Tiish  me.     At  Crown  Point  I  find  : 

I THE    CROWN    POINT    LITERARY. 

Organized  in  1863.  Among  the  active  members  were 
especially  the  three  pastors  in  the  tov.-n,  one  of  these 
•doing  considerable  of  the  literary  work,   aided  nobly  by 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  1 77 

a  choice  band  of  coadjutors ;  and  J-  E.  Newhouse,  and  J. 
L.  Lower,  both  teachers  of  vocal  music,  and  amateur  per- 
formers on  the  guitar,  furnishing  much  excellent  music. 
This  Society  met  at  the  Brick  School  House,  and  its 
meetings  were  well  attended  by  the  citizens  and  by  vis- 
itors. In  musical  talent  it  was  highly  favored,  the  two 
guitars  and  the  accompanying  voices  producing  rich 
melody. 

II.— THE    PIERIAN    SOCIETY 1865. 

This  Society  was  composed  exclusively  of  members  of 
the  Institute,  and  was  the  first,  and  only  one  of  its  class 
thus  far,  in  this  county.  One  of  its  programmes  is  placed 
here  for  preservation. 

SECOND    ANNUAL    EXHIBITION 

OF   THE 
I'ER    ASIKKA    AD    ASTKA. 

CROWN  POINT  INSTITUTE,  FRIDAY  EVENING,  APRIL  12,  1867, 

CROWX    I'OINT,  INDIANA. 

ORDER    OF    exercises: 

MUSIC. 

P  R  A  V  K  R. 

.\irsic. 

Declam,Ttion— I.  Citi.ek Cedar  Lake 

Letter— Miss  C.  P.akton Yellow  Head,  III. 

F.ssay — Freedom — T.  F.  Pai.mi^k lUirnettsville 

Recitation — Miss  A.  I'iArbek.   Crown  Point 

MUSIC. 
Declamation — H.  ( iKiFiix Crown  Point 

Address — F.ducation — Miss  M.  FtisTER. , - .  -Crown  Point 

Oration — A  Good  Name — H.  Joh.nsux Crown  Point 

MUSIC. 

nit^,  ■■       I  Did    Pocaliontas    save  i  AtT.  U.  L  Fry Lowell 

iJis-cubsion -^  the  life  of  John  Smith'  (  Xeg.  J.  Dinwiddie Orchard  Grove 


178  LAKE    COUXrv. 

MUSIC. 

Declamation — P.  Ebbert -. Chicago 

Letter— Miss  F.  Starr Eagle  Creek 

Essay — Future  Prospects  of  our  Country — J.  1!.  Turner Crown  Point 

Recitation— Miss  E.  Mii.lis ..- Door  Village 

MUSIC. 

Declamation — W.  Hili ..Cedar  Lake 

Address — Study  of  the  Languages — Miss  B.  F.  Weai  hhriie. Chicago 

Oration — Our  Country — C.  Hoi.to.n -  -Deep  River 

MUSIC. 
BENEDICTION. 

Its  meetings  were  held  weekly  during  term  time,  and  it 
doubtless  did  a  good  work  in  cultivating  a  literary  taste. 

III. THE    WEBSTER    SOCIETY 1869-1872. 

Meetings  held  first  at  Fraas'  Hall,  and  finally  at  the 
Court  House.  At  this  society  could  be  found,  each  week, 
the  largest  and  most  cultivated  audience  of  the  tov.n. 

The  societies  here  named  are  no  longer  organized  bod- 
ies. Their  work  is  done.  They  belong  to  the  records 
of  the  past. 

The  society  at  Hobart  is  apparently  the  most  perma- 
nent Literary  Society  now  in  the  county. 

Crown  Point  has  about  reached  the  transition  state  be- 
tween literary  societies  and  lecture  associations.  Its 
next  organization  in  this  line  will  probably  be  a  Lecture 
Association,  to  secure  for  each  winter  a  course  of  Ly- 
ceum Lectures. 

As  towns  grow  into  cities  this  seems  to  be  tlie  sure 
result. 

CHURCH    ORGANIZATIONS. 

There  are  in  the  county  seven  Catholic  Churches,  all 
having  houses,  and  resident  pastors  or  supplies.  One 
more  will  soon  be  organized,  and  a  chapel  will  be  built 
at  Lowell. 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  179 

There  are  four  Lutheran  Churches,  all  having  houses 
of  worship. 

There  are  two  Presbyterian  Churches  also  having 
houses  erected. 

There  is  one  Christian  Church,  and  building. 

There  are  two  German  Methodist  Churches,  and  build- 
ings, one  of  these  called  Evangelical. 

There  are  three  Baptist  Churches,  and  buildings;  one 
building  not  yet  completed. 

There  are  four  Methodist  Episcopal  Classes  having 
church  buildings ;  and  classes  at  Deer  Creek,  Prairie 
View,  Centreville,  Underwood  School  House,  Lake,  Eagle 
Creek,  Orchard  Grove,  and  Jones'  vSchool  House,  having 
no  church  buildings.     Whole  number  of  classes,  12. 

There  is  a  German  Methodist  class  and  congregation 
at  Centreville.  No  church  building.  Evangelical  Ger- 
man Methodist  classes  also  meet  at  Deer  Creek,  and  at 
Crown  Point,  having  no  church  edifices. 

There  is  a  Methodist  Church,  not  Episcopal,  at  Vin- 
cent School  House. 

All  these  make,  of  church  organizations  in  the  county, 
and  maintaining  public  worship,  35.  Besides  these 
thirty-five  places  of  preaching,  the  i)astor  at  Lake  Prairie 
preaches  at  the  Burhan's  School  House,  the  Livingtone 
School  House,  and  the  Fuller  School  House  ;  the  pastor 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Hebron  preaches  at  South 
East  Grove,  and  Bryant's  School  House;  the  pastor  of 
the  North  Street  Church  preaches  at  South  East  Grove, 
and  Pleasant  Prairie;  and  the  minister  supplying  at  Sa- 
lem Presbyterian  Church  preaches  at  the  Hurlburt 
School  House. 


l8o  LAKE    COUNTY. 

The  Cierman  Methodist  pastor  at  Cedar  Lake  preaches 
at  Lake  Prairie,  at  Crown  Point,  and  near  Centreville. 

The  Lutheran  pastor  at  Tolleston  also  preaches  at 
Hessville. 

The  pastor  of  the  Vincent  Methodist  Church  preaches 
at  Hickory  Top. 

There  is  also  preaching  this  summer  at  the  Adams 
School  House,  by  Rev.  R.  Randolph,  who  has  lately 
moved  here  from  Michigan. 

The  pastor  of  the  Covenanter  Church  in  Porter  count}', 
also  preaches  at  Hickory  Point. 

A  German  Methodist  pastor  at  Valparaiso  preaches  at 
Hobart, 

Number  of  places  of  religious  meeting,  50. 

TABULAR    VIEW    OF    CHURCH    BUILDINGS. 

CATHOLIC    CHIUCHES. 

Xa.  of    Value  of 
Name  of  Church,  When  Erected.  fain  Hies,  property. 

Church  of  St. John  the  Evan-         First  Chapel,  1843.     Present 
gelist,  at   St.  Johns Church  built  of  brick,  1856.  140  $18 

Church  of  the  Holy  Apostles  First  Log  Church,  about  1852. 

Peter  and  Paul,  at  Turkey  Present  large  building  of  Joliet 

Creek stone,  1864.  40  8 

Church    of    St.   Anthony,  at 

Klaasville t86i.  45  2 

Church  of  St.  Joseph,  at  Lake 

Station 1861.  20  2,000 

Church  of  St. Joseph, at  Dyer.  1867.  60  6,000 

Churcl"!  of  St.^Iartin,  at  Han- 
over Centre - i86g.  60 

Church  of   the  Blessed  Virgin 

Mary,  at  Crown  Point 1867.  90 


455 
Families  at  Hobart  and  at  Lowell 45 

Total  No.  of  families ._ 500 

Whole  No.  of  Churches,  7. 

LUTHER.^N    CHURCHES. 

Zion's  Church,  in  Hanover.  1859.  3°  3i0oo 

Trinity  Church,  Crown  Point.  1869.  23  3i300 

Tolleston.  1869.  65  2,800 

Hobart.  1S70.  25  2,500 

The  first  three  of  these  are  German  Lutheran  ;  the  fourth  is  Sweedish  Evangeli- 
cal Lutheran,  supplied  from  Bailey  Town,  and  Chicago.     No  resident  pastor. 


FACTS    ANJ)    FIGURES.  lOI 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAL. 

Hickory  Point. About  1844.  Now  dilapidated. 

Crown  Point,  ist 1845-47. 

Crown  Point,  2d i860  6,000 

Pleasant  Grove 1853  500 

Now  Lowell 1S70  6,500 

West  Creek,  ist 1843 

West  Creek,  2d 1869  2,000 

Hobart ,.-- 1872  4,000 

Membeishlp  in  the  county,  450. 

PRESBYTERIAN'. 

Crown  Point -  1845-47.  3,000 

Lake  Prairie -..  1872  looo 

Membership  in  the  county,  124. 

GERMAN    METHODIST. 

Cedar  Lake 1855  2,000 

GERM.'VM    E\ANGHLICAI.. 

Cedar  Lake 185S  800 

CHKISIIAX. 

At  Lowell., 1870  6,000 

BAPTIST. 

Crown  Point, 1S56  800 

Lowell--- -- 1856  1,500 

North  Street,  at  Crown  Point.  1872  1,500 

Whole  No.  of  members,  62. 

In  all  23  houses  of  worship  now  in    the  county.     The   Lutheran  at    Hobart,    and 
"  North  Street,"  not  finished. 

CONDKXSKD    VIEW. 

Whole  number  of  families,  2,500  ;  Catholic  families, 
500;  Lutheran,  225;  Methodist  Episcopal,  250;  Presby- 
terian, 80 ;  Christian,  45  ;  Bai)tist,  40 ;  German  Metho- 
dist, 50 ;  Non-Episcopal  Methodists,  25  ;  Covenanters, 
10  ;   total,  1,250. 

PASTORS    OF    THE    DIFFERENT     DENOMINATIONS. 
BAl'TIST— AT    CKDAR    LAKE. 

N.  Warriner,  ordained  in  June,  1S40,  iS38-'42;  Wm. 
T.  I)ly,  iS45-'46;  Alex.  Hastings,  1848;  Thomas  Hunt, 
December,  185  i,  November,  1852.  Died  in  the  county; 
buried  July  22,  1853;  Uriah  Mclvay,  October,  i853-'54. 
This  Cedar  Eake  Baptist  Church  dismissed  members  to 
form  a  church    at    Thorn   Grove,   Illinois,  in    1848;   also 


lo2  LAKE    COUNTY. 

dismissed  members  to  form  a  church  at  West  Creek,  in 
1848;  and  in  December,  1S51,  dismissed  members  to 
form  a  church  at  Crown  Point. 

The  population  changing,  new  centres  springing  up, 
and  many  removing,  considering  its  mission  accomplished, 
this  church  disbanded  January  17,  1856,  having  been  or- 
ganized June  17,  1838. 

AT    LOWE!,!.. 

T.  H.  Ball,  i856-'57;  John  IJenny,  i857-'59;  T.  H. 
Ball,  i863-'64  ;   G.  Lewis,  i864-"65  ;   J.    Bruce,    1867-72. 

A.  E.  Simons  was  pastor  at  Crown  Point,  from  1859  to 
1862. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  at  Crown  Point  was  consti- 
tuted, according  to  its  session  records,  April  27.  1844. 

PASTORS. 

J.  C.  Browai,  i84o-'46;  Wm.  Townley,  i846-'56;  


Shultz,  i857-'59  ;  James  L.  Lower,  i859-'65  ;  A.  Y. 
Moore,  i866-'69;  Samuel  McKee,  i87o-'7i  ;  S.  Fleming, 
1871. 

The  first  pastor,  Rev.  J.  C.  Brown,  D.  I).,  resided  at 
Valparaiso.  He  died  chaplain  of  the  48th  Regiment 
Indiana  A^olunteers,  at  Paducah,  Kentucky,  July  14, 
1862.  The  second  pastor.  Rev.  Wm.  Townley,  was  in- 
strumental in  the  erection  of  the  first  private  school 
house  in  Crown  Point,  which  is  now  the  Presbyterian 
parsonage.  He  carried  on  a  school  himself  for  some 
years,  and  aided  in  giving  quite  an  impulse  to  the  cause 
of  education.  He  was  for  some  time  School  Examiner 
of  the  county,  and  conscientious  in  the  discharge  of 
duty.     He  died,  during  this  year,  in  the  State  of  Illinois. 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  283 

PASTORS    IN    LAKE    PRAIRIE. 

H.  Wason,  i857-'64;  R.  Wells,  r864-'68;  E.  H.  Post, 
i87o-'72. 

CHRISTIAN. 

PASTORS. 

N.  Cofenburg,  i842-'52;  C.  Blackman,  iS55-'57. 

SUPPLIES. 

Johnson,  Russell,  Jones,  Goodman. 
Rose,  i862-'67  ;  Shortridge,  i869-'7o  ;  Wheeler,  March, 
1871. 

LUTHERAN. 

The  church  at  Tolleston  had  supplies  for  some  six 
years  from  Dalton,  and  Chicago.  H.  Wunderlich,  resident 
pastor  since  August,  187 1. 

Zion's  Church,  in  Hanover  Township,  Rev.  P.  Lehman, 
pastor  i859-'68.     No  pastor  at  present. 

Church  at  Hobart  supplied. 

CHURCH    AT    CROWN    POINT. PASTORS. 

C.  F.  W.  Huge,  i87o-'7i  ;  George  Heintz,  187 1. 

NON-EPISCOPAL    METHODIST    PASTORS. 

W.  S.  Hinds,  1871. 

METHODIST    EPISCOl'AL    PASTORS. 

Take  and  Porter,  originally  attached  to  La  Porte,  were 
a  mission  field,  at  first,  of  that  circuit.  Mission  preach- 
ers were  Jones  and  Beers. 

CIRCUIT    PREACHERS. 

Robert  Hyde,  1837-38;  Stagg,  i838-'39;  Green, 
1839-40;  Wheeler,  i84o-'4o;  W.Posey,  1840-41;  W.J. 
Forbes,  1841-42;  Cozad,  1842-43;  1).  Crumbacker, 
1843-44;  J.  Early,  i844-'45  ;  S.  B.  Lamb,  1845-47; 
Salisbury,      1847-48;       H.    B.    P,all,    1848-49  ;     Strite, 


184  lakp:  county. 

i849-'5o;  Casey,  i85o-'5i  ;  L.   Moore,   i85i-'52;    C.  S. 
Burgner,  1852-53. 

The  county  was  now  divided  into  two  circuits. 

CROWN    POINT    CIRCUIT. 

R.  B.  Young,  i853-'54;  F.  Cox,  1854-55;  Brown, 
i855-'56;  Crawford,  i856-'57  ;  C.  B.  Heath,  i857-'58; 
J.  W.  Green,  i858-'59. 

CROWN    POINT    NOW    MADE   A    STATION. 

J.  W.  Green,  i859-'6o.  New  church  built.  Morris, 
Robinson,  and  R.  B.  Young,  i86o-'6i  ;  J.  H.  Claypool, 
i86i-'62;  H.  C.  Fraley,  i862-'63;  J.  E.  Newhouse, 
i863-'64;  B.  H.  Bradbury,  i864-'65  ;  S.  P.  Colvin,  1865 
-'66;  T.  C.  Stringer,  i866-'69;    M.    M.    Stolz,    i869-'72. 

LOWELL,    OR    WEST    CREEK    CIRCUIT. 

D.  Dunham,  i853-'55  ;  C.  B.  Mawk,  i855-'56  ;  McDan- 
iels,  i856-'58;  W.  J.  Forbes,  i858-'59;  A.  Haze  and  J. 
H.  Ciscel,  i859-'6o;  W.  W.  Jones,  and  Brook,  i86o-'62; 
J.  H.  Claypool,  i862-'63  ;  Unsworth,  i863-'64;  W.  T, 
Jones,  i864-'65  ;  D.  Winegar,  i865-'66  ;  Vickars,  1866- 
'67;  E.  W.  Lawhorn,  i867-'69;  J.  J.  Hines  and  R.  B. 
Young,  i869-'7i  ;  J.  Harrison,  i87i-'72. 

HOHART    CIRCUIT. 

N.  B.  Wood,  i866-'67  ;  Vickars,  i867-'69;  J.  W. 
Crane,  i869-'7o;  Stafford,  1870-72. 

CATHOLIC    PASTORS    AT    ST.    JOHNS. 

Francisco  Antonio  Carius,  1846-49  ;  F.  Cointet,  (S.  S 
C.,)  i849-'5o,  February;  F.  C.  Schilling,  1850;  B.  J 
Voors,  i85i-'52;  F.  C.  Schilling,  i853-'54,  May  ;  B.  J 
Voors,  i854-'57,  June  ;  A.  Tursch,  July,  i857-'58 
March;  Jacob  Mayor,  i858-'58,  April  to  September;  B 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  '  1 85 

Rachor,  September,  iSsS-'yo,  September ;  A.  Heitmann, 
1870. 

AT    KLAASVILTE. 

Church  consecrated  May  12,  1861,  by  Right  Reverend 
John  Henry  Luess,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  this  diocese.  The 
present  pastor  has  kindly  furnished  for  me  the  following 
note  :  "  Since  the  church's  dedication,  attended  by  Rev. 
Francis  Nick,  Rev.  King,  Rev.  Frederick  Fuchs,  who 
died  here,  and  is  interred  in  the  Catholic  Cemetery  of 
the  congregation  ;  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Henry 
Renssen ;  and  the  church  is  now  attended  and  pastored 
by  the  Rev.  Francis  Seigeluk,  every  Sunday,  and  holi- 
day. As  the  congregation  is  fast  increasing  a  new  church 
will  be  built  there  ere  long."  The  pastor  at  Klaasville 
resides  at  Hanover  Centre,  and  is  pastor  of  that  church. 

At  Turkey  Creek,  and  at  Lake,  no  resident  pastors  at 
present. 

AT    DYER. 

K.Schmidt,  i867-'7i;  B.  Wedne,  1872. 

AT    CROWN    POINT. 

P.  Wehrle ;   L.  Weiser,    i869-'7o;   H.    Meissner,    1871. 

I  take  the  opportunity  to  acknowledge  here  the  kind- 
ness and  courtesy  of  the  pastors  at  Hanover,  St.  Johns, 
and  Crown  Point,  in  furnishing  to  me  information  for 
these  records  ;  and  to  express  my  gratification  in  regard 
to  the  pleasant  acquaintances  thus  formed.  Indeed,  all 
the  pastors  of  the  different  churches  have  aided  me  in 
this  very  kindly  ;  but  some  of  us  do  not  keep  our  own 
records  in  as  good  shape  as  do  our  Catholic  brethren. 

Po])ulation  in  1870,  12,339.      Present  i">o])u]ation  about 


150  LAKE    COUNTY. 

CHURCH    .MEMIiKRS. 

(Some  of  these  are  estimated  from  the  families.) 

Catholic,  2500;  Lutheran,  1125;  Metliodist  Episcopal, 
450;  German  Methodist,  120;  Presbyterian,  124;  Chris- 
tian, 78;  Baptist,  62;  J^^vangelical,  50;  Xon-P^piscopal 
Methodists,  40  ;   Covenanters,  20;   total,  4560. 

Number  of  children  in  the  townships,  as  enumerated 
for  public  school  purposes,  4585. 

Number  of  children  in  the  Sabbath  Schools,  under 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  about  1000. 

The  Catholic  and  Lutheran  children,  who  are  relig- 
iously instructed  with  great  care,  would  number  about 
1500. 

Great  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  religious  orga- 
nizations in  the  past  thirty  years.  Four  Ba])tist  churches 
have  disbanded,  located  at  Cedar  Lake,  West  Creek,  Ho- 
bart,  and  Eagle  Creek.  Methodist  cluirches  or  classes 
have  ceased  to  exist,  that  were  once  flourishing,  at  Pleas- 
ant Grove,  Centre  Prairie,  Hickory  Point,  Hickory  Top, 
and  probably  other  places  ;  and  Methodist  preaching  is 
discontinued  also  at  Jones'  School  House,  South  East 
Grove,  and  the  Butler  School  House.  Flourishing  United 
Brethren  congregations  have  been  scattered,  and  pasto- 
ral ministrations  of  this  denomination  have  ceased.  Yet 
the  county,  as  a  whole,  is  not  falling  back  in  regard  to 
Christian  civilization.  Four  resident  Catholic  pastors, 
two  resident  Lutheran,  three  Methodist  pastors,  and  one 
Presbyterian,  devote  their  time  to  the  religious  training 
and  spiritual  welfare  of  their  flocks.  Ten  men  devoting 
their  whole  time  and  energies  to  the  upbuilding  of  Chris- 
tianity in  our  townships  ought  to  accomplish  much.    And 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  iSf 

there  are  five  others,  engaged  in  part  in  secular  pursuits, 
to  earn  the  necessaries  of  life,  who  may  also  be  counted 
as  laborers  in  the  wide  harvest  field  of  which  our  domain 
forms  a  little  part.  Fifteen  laborers  in  this  "vineyard  " 
ought  to  be  able  to  secure  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  It 
will  appear  from  the  figures  elsewhere  given  that  one-fifth 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Lake  county  are  Catholic,  one- 
eleventh  are  Lutherans,  and  that,  including  these,  one- 
half  of  the  families  are  believers  in  what  may  be  called 
orthodox  Christianity. 

Among  the  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  families  making 
up  the  other  half  of  our  population,  there  are  some  L'ni- 
versalists,  some  Spiritualists,  some  Sceptics,  some  with  no 
fixed  religious  belief;  and  among  these  families  are  some 
— I  record  it  because  believing  it  to  be  true,  and  that  one 
truth  will  not  suffer  in  consequence  of  another  truth  ; 
and  I  record  it  also,  believing  intensely  in  pure  Christi- 
anity, and  disgusted  thoroughly  with  some  wicked  things 
done  professedly  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and  professedly  for 
his  cause — among  these  non-evangelical  families  are  some 
of  the  kindest,  most  obliging,  most  reliable,  and  best 
disposed  of  our  citizens.  How  many,  tliis  record  will  not 
disclose. 

Hoping  to  be  able  to  give  honor  to  %i<hom  honor,  and 
praise  to  whom  praise  is  due,  and  having  had  some  large 
opportunities  for  ascertaining  character,  I  make  this  re- 
cord for  the  sake  of  justice,  and  truth,  and  for  the  sug- 
gestions which  it  may  call  forth.  And  I  suppose  it  to  be 
saying  much  for  our  evangelization  to  repeat,  that  one- 
half  of  the  families  of  Lake  are  believers  in  one  revealed 
religion,  and    in   one    inspired    book  ;  a    book    of  whose 


lob  LAKE    COUN  rV. 

teachings,  Bonar,  of  England,  one  of  the  best  Christian 
poets  of  our  day,  has  said  : 

"  More  durable  they  stand. 
Than  the  eternal  hills  ; 
Far  sweeter  and  more  musical 
Than  music  of  earth's  rills. 

"  Fairer  in  their  fair  hues, 

Than  the  fresh  flowers  of  earth. 
More  fragrant  than  the  fragrant  climes 
Where  odors  have  their  l)irth. " 

PHYSICIANS    AT    CROWN     POINT. 

The  earliest  regular  physician  in  the  county  was  Dr. 
H.  D.  Palmer,  who  settled  north  of  Solon  Robinson's  lo- 
cation, in  the  winter  of  1836.  An  irregular  practitioner. 
Dr.  Joseph  F.  Greene,  settled  soon  after  near  Cedar 
Lake,  practiced  several  years  in  that  locality,  was  a  great 
hunter  and  trapper,  and  died  about  1847.  Those  resid- 
ing at  the  county  seat  are  the  following :  \V.  F.  Farring- 
ton,  i84o-'56  ;  Andrew  Stone,  —  '46  ;  Cunning- 
ham,— ;  H.  Pettibone,  1847;  Wm.  E.Vilmer,  i853-'6i  ;  A. 

J.  Pratt,  1854  ; Finney,  i855-'58  ;  J.  Higgins,  1859  ; 

S.  R.  Pratt,  i86o-'63;  C.  Groman,   i86i-'63;  O.  Poppe, 
June,  1870. 

DENTISTS. 

O.  H.  AVilcox,  i864-'7i  ;  D.  T.  Quackenbush,  187 1  ; 
G.  E.  Eastman,  1872. 

Dr.  J.  Higgins  went  into  the  army  as  surgeon  in  1S61. 
At  first  he  was  connected  with  a  United  States  regiment, 
but  that  becoming  disorganized  he  received  the  position 
of  surgeon  of  the  12th  Cavalry,  Illinois  ^'olunteers.  He 
remained    in    the    service,   a    great   part   of   the  time  as 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  189 

brigade  surgeon,  or  in  general  hospitals  at  Chicago  and 
Washington  City,  until  1865,  early  in  which  year  he  re- 
sumed practice  at  Crown  Point.  As  an  experienced, 
operative  surgeon,  he  stands  at  the  head  of  the  ranks 
among  the  physicians  of  the  county.  Dr.  Samuel  R. 
Pratt  also  served  as  army  surgeon  ;  first  in  the  87th  Reg- 
iment Indiana  Volunteers,  resigning  on  account  of  ill 
health;  and  afterward  in  the  12th  Cavalry,  remaining 
with  this  regiment  until  its  return  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  then  located  at  Hebron,  where  as  practicing  physi- 
cian, he  still  resides.  Dr.  Otto  Poppe  is  ahomoeopathist, 
an  intelligent,  courteous  German,  comparatively  young, 
but  acquiring  quite  a  practice. 

Two  physicians  have  died  here,  Drs.  Farrington,  and 
Wilmer.  One  resided  here  for  a  short  time.  Dr.  Brow- 
nell,  and  removed  to  the  neighborhood  of  Plum  Grove, 
and  died  not  many  months  ago. 

The  resident  physicians  are  now  four,  all  of  whom  for 
the  last  year  or  two  have  made  their  professional  visits  in 
two-horse  covered  carriages. 

Dr.  Bliss,  a  retired  physician,  also  resides  in  town, 
keeping  a  drug  store,  and  occasionally  visiting,  profes- 
sionally, his  particular  friends. 

PHYSICIANS    AT    LOWELL. 

At  the  head  of  this  list  I  place  one  of  the  oldest  prac- 
ticing physicians  of  this  region,  Dr.  J.  A.  Wood,  who 
settled  in  Porter  county,  in  June,  1837,  and  extended  his 
rides  into  Lake,  and  removed  to  West  Point,  Cedar  Lake, 
in  the  winter  of  1840.  In  1842  he  removed  to  Center 
Prairie,   and  in    1847  to   Lowell.     He  was,  for  eighteen 

months.  Regimental   Surgeon  in  the  12th  Indiana  Cav- 
16 


19°  LAKE    COUNTY. 

airy.  Was  much  of  the  time  in  hospitals  in  positions 
above  his  nominal  rank  in  the  service.  He  built  his  pres- 
ent residence  in  the  suburbs  of  Lowell  in  1862. 

Dr.  John  Farrington  ;  Dr.  John  Hunt,  i855-'57.  He 
returned  to  La  Porte  county  and  died.  Dr.  S.  B.  Yeo- 
man, 1856.  Died  at  Lowell,  January,  1864.  Dr.  A.  A. 
Gerrish,  1865  ;  Dr.  S.  B.  Taylor,  i865-'69.  Removed 
to  Nebraska.  Dr.  E.  R.  Bacon,  1866  ;  Dr.  J.  E.  Davis, 
1870. 

PHYSICIANS    AT    BRUNSWICK. 

M.  Hoffman,  i857-'59;  C.  Schlemm  ; Walensky; 

C.  Schlemm  ;  H.  Volke,  1865  ;  C.  Groman,  1865. 

AT    HOfJART. 

Dr.  P.  P.  Gordon,  1866  ;  Dr.  H.  Castle,  1S72. 

AT    DEEP    RIVER. 

Dr.  Vincent,  1871. 

AT    DYER. 

Dr.  S.  W.  Johns. 

LAWYERS    AT    CROWN    POINT. 

A.  McDonald,  date  of  location,  1S39  !  Martin  Wood, 
1848;  E.  Griffin.  1857  ;  Charles  N.  Morton,  1858;  James 
B.  Turner,  1861  ;  T.  Cleveland,  1863  ;  E.  C.  Field,  April, 
1865;  Job  Barnard,  May,  1867;  T.   J.  Wood,  1867  ;  W. 

T.  Horine,  1870; McCarthy,  1870;  T.  S.  Fancher, 

1871;  James  H.  Ball,  1871  ;  Milton  Barnard,  1872;  J. 
W.  Youche,  1872. 

The  first  of  these  lawyers,  Alexander  McDonald,  was 
an  early  settler  in  the  south  part  of  the  county.  Remov- 
ing to  Crown  Point,  in  1839,  and  entering  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  he  became  the  most  eminent  lawyer  of  the 
county,  was  a  representative  four  or  five  terms  at  Indian- 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  jgi 

apolis,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  prosperous  legal  career, 
died  in  1869. 

The  fifth,  James  B.  Turner,  was  a  son  of  Judge  Sam- 
uel Turner,  an  old  settler.  He  was  a  refined  and  courte- 
ous gentleman,  of  prepossessing  personal  appearance,  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  an  exemplary 
Christian  lawyer.  Leaving  his  practice  at  Crown  Point, 
he  went,  with  M.  A.  Halsted,  to  the  South,  at  the  close  of 
the  war,  for  the  purpose  of  engaging  in  the  cultivation  of 
cotton,  and  died  there  in  1866.  His  remains  were 
brought  to  his  home,  at  Crown  Point,  for  burial. 

Charles  N.  Morton,  and McCarthy,  remained  here 

but  a  short  time.  The  others  are  still  members  of  the 
Lake  County  Bar. 

The  names  of  a  few  lawyers  who  were  here  for  a  short 

time  are  omitted  in  the  above  record,  among  them 

Hewitt,  in  1848,  and  perhaps  1849,  and  George  Glossner, 
a  partner  for  a  few  months  of  this  year  with  T.  S.  Fan- 
cher;  also  A.  G.  Hardesty,  and  J.  B.  Peterson,  residents 
for  a  few  months  of  this  summer,  at  the  county  seat. 

An  idea  of  our  growth  in  some  directions  may  be  ob- 
tained from  the  following  contrast : 

A  post  office,  as  has  been  mentioned,  was  established 
at  Crown  Point  under  the  name  of  Lake  C.  H.,  in  1S36. 
The  receipts  of  the  office  from  March  to  October  were 
$15.  The  next  quarter  the  receipts  were  $8.87.  Third 
quarter  $21.49.  I^i  1837  a  weekly  mail  was  brought  from 
La  Porte.  The  contract  was  taken  at  $450  for  the  year. 
Quarter  ending  June  30,  the  receipts  were,  $26.92  ;  Sep- 
tember 30,  $43.50;  December  31,  $38.20;  March  31, 
1838,  $5  1.33  ;  June  30,  $51.39.     This  last  was  the  largest 


192  LAKE    COUNTY. 

amount  received  in  one  quarter  while  Solon  Robinson  was 
postmaster.  This  one  office  then  supplied  the  county, 
and  each  letter  taken  out  cost  twenty-five  cents  if  com- 
ing from  any  great  distance. 

In  this  year,  1872,  the  following  is  the  record  of  Crown 
Point  post  office,  Z.  P.  Farley,  postmaster  : 

There  was  received  for  money  orders,  issued  from  Jan- 
uary ist  to  July  ist,  1872,  $9,075.81.  There  was  paid 
out  on  money  orders  drawn  on  this  office  during  the 
same  time,  $2,892.81,  the  balance,  $6,183,  being  remitted 
to  Chicago.  The  amount  received  for  stamps  sold  du- 
ring the  six  months  ending  July  ist,  was  $576.36.  The 
number  of  mails  received  at  this  office  each  week,  28  ; 
:number  of  mails  sent  out,  28. 

Another  contrast  is  furnished  by  the  assessment  re- 
'Cords.  The  first  assessment,  made  after  the  organization 
in  1837,  includes  8,726  acres  of  land  valued  at  $77,787, 
the  tax  upon  it  amounting  to  $894.  There  were  226  polls 
and  23  over  age,  making  249  assessed  for  taxation.  The 
personal  property  tax,  at  high  rates  of  valuation, 
amounted  to  $521 ;  poll  tax,  $282.50;  total  tax,  $1,697. 
The  assessment  of  1846  shows  600  persons  assessed; 
54,421  acres,  valued  at  $78,792;  personal  property  as- 
sessed, at  very  low  rates  of  valuation,  $95,849;  tax  upon 
all,  $2,754. 

In  187 1  the  number  of  acres  assessed  was  293,614, 
valued  at  $2,342,155  ;  personal  property,  $723,160  ;  num- 
ber of  polls,  1,796;  tax,  $53,358.66;  railroad  valuation, 
$548,040;  tax  on  railroad  property,  $6,263.51.  The  tax 
of  1837  was  brought  up  by  high  valuations,  and  by   in- 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  1 93 

eluding  409  town  lots  in  Liverpool  assessed  at  $26,440, 
to  $2,002,  equaling  more  than  two-thirds  the  tax  of  1846. 

It  was  ascertained,  a  fact  which  shows  how  unsettled 
that  first  squatter  population  was,  that  of  the  249  first 
assessed  80  only  remained  in  the  county  ten  years  after- 
wards ;  27  had  died  ;  "  so  that"  says  he  who  then  counted 
up  the  number,  "  142  have  rolled  on  in  that  irresistible 
wave  of  western  emigration  that  never  will  cease  till  it 
meets  the  resisting  wave  of  the  western  ocean,  which  will 
cause  the  mighty  tide  to  react  upon  itself  until  all  the 
mountain  sides  and  fertile  plains  of  Mexico  and  Oregon 
are  teeming  with  the  Anglo-Saxon  race." 

And  still  a  third  contrast  appears  in  the  number  of 
voters,  and  in  the  census  returns  of  number  of  inhabi- 
tants. At  the  first  election,  which  was  held  in  March, 
1837,  78  votes  were  polled.  At  the  presidential  election 
in  1844,  votes  325  ;  in  1868,  2,336.  The  estimated  popu- 
lation in  1837  was  1,245. 

In  1840  the  United  States  census  was  taken  by  Lewis 
Warriner,  of  Cedar  Lake.  Population  then,  1,468  ;  in 
1850,3,991;  in  1860,9,145;  in  1870  it  reached  12,339; 
increase  between  1840  and  1850,  2,523;  between  1850 
and  i860,  5,154;  between  i860  and  1870,  3,194. 

A  fourth  contrast  appears  in  the  amount  of  produc- 
tions. A  sufficient  amount  of  food  for  home  consumption 
was  raised  probably  in  the  summer  of  1838.  In  1840 
sales  of  produce  may  be  said  to  have  commenced.  The 
first  articles  for  market  were  grain  and  pork.  As  pro- 
ductions increased,  and  facilities  for  transportation  were 
provided,  we  added  to  the  grain  and  pork,  butter,  cheese, 
honey,  potatoes,  wool,  poultry,  eggs  ;  horses,  cattle,  and 
hay. 


194  LAKE    COUNTY. 

The  value  of  each  of  these  now  marketed  in  a  year, 
I  am  sorry  to  be  unable  to  give  ;  but  the  following  figures 
Bnd  facts  will  aid  in  forming  an  estimate  :  One  dealer, 
H.  C.  Beckman,  of  Hanover  Township,  village  of  Bruns- 
wick, has  bought  in  a  single  day,  in  the  regular  course  of 
trade,  thirty-seven  hundred  eggs,  and  about  three  hun- 
dred pounds  of  butter.  In  five  months  of  this  year  he 
bought  5,600  dozen,  and  his  amount  for  the  year  may  be 
placed  at  8,000  dozen.  Amount  of  butter  taken  in  during 
the  year,  10,000  pounds. 

The  butter  and  egg  trade  of  Lowell  for  a  year  is  in 
dollars,  $12,000;  that  of  H.  C.  Beckman,  about  $3,000; 
A.  D.  Palmer,  about  $1,000  ;  Crown  Point,  about  $12,000  ; 
other  places,  probably  $22,000  ;  total,  $50,000. 

During  the  past  year  there  have  been  shipped  from  this 
county,  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  160,000  bushels  of 
corn;  360,000  bushels  of  oats;  2,200  tons  of  hay.  Of 
pork,  a  large  amount ;  the  figures  I  cannot  obtain ;  and 
many  cattle  have  been  sold  for  beef. 

Some  seventy  horses  were  this  summer  taken  to  the 
New  England  markets.  Many  more  went  to  Chicago. 
Total  valuation  of  products  sent  out  of  the  county, 
$300,000. 

In  manufactures  also  something  is  done.  The  wagon- 
making  business  at  one  shop  in  Crown  Point,  the  shop 
owned  by  J.  Hack,  gives  constant  employment  to  eight 
workmen,  and  turns  off  in  a  year  some  fifty  wagons,  ten 
or  twelve  carriages  and  buggies,  besides  doing  quite  an 
amount  of  repair.  Other  shops  at  Crown  Point  and  Low- 
ell do  a  fair  amount  of  work. 

The  broom  factory  of  T.  Fisher  sends  to  Chicago 
yearly  a  large  amount  of  brooms. 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  1 95 

A  fifth  contrast,  that  exhibits  one  law  of  growth,  is  in 
■the  amount  of  land  held  by  single  individuals.  The 
squatters  allowed  to  one  individual  only  two  hundred 
acres.  Many  actual  settlers  entered  only  eighty  or  one 
hundred.  The  following  table  presents  a  view  for  1872 
of  a  few 

LARGE    LAND    HOLDERS. 

Of  these  some  are  non-residents.  A.  N.  Hart,  a  resi- 
dent at  Dyer,  but  doing  business  in  Chicago,  holds  some 
15,000  acres.     Estimated  value  of  his  estate,  $500,000. 

NON-RESIDENTS. 

Dorsey  &  Cline,  10,000  or  12,000  acres  ; Forsyth, 

about  8,000 ;  G.  W.  Cass,  9,577  ;  J.  B.  Niles,  about  1,800  ; 
Dr.  Hittle,  1,200;  D.  C.  Scofield,  about  1,000. 

RESIDENTS. 

Estate  of  J.  W.  Dinwiddle,  about  3,500;  Wellington  A. 
Clark,  1,320. 

The  value  of  the  real  estate  of  the  county  may  be  put 
down  at  $10,000,000.  This  would  give,  to  each  family, 
if  equally  divided,  $4,000.  But,  as  elsewhere  in  the 
world,  property  is  here  unequally  divided.  A  few  fami- 
lies hold  real  estate  in  round  numbers,  in  the  following 
amounts:  A.  N.  Hart,  $500,000;  Mrs.  M.  J.  Dinwid- 
dle, $125,000. 

NON-RESIDENTS. 

Gen.  Cass,  $150,000; P'orsyth,  $250,000;   Dorsey 

&  Cline,  $150,000  ;  total,  $1,175,000. 

It  thus  appears  that  ten  families  own  about  one-sixth 
of  the  area  of  the  county,  and  that  six  families  own  more 
than  one-tenth,  in  value,  of  the  real  estate  of  the  county. 

Another  great  contrast  appears  in  examining  the  dis- 
trict schools,  the  buildings,   the   teachers,  the  wages  or 


196  LAKE    COUNTY. 

salary  paid,  and  the  mode  of  licensing  the  teachers.  In 
1847  Solon  Robinson  wrote,  referring  back  to  1841  : 
"  This  year  a  frame  school  house  was  built  in  Crown 
Point,  which  was  the  first  respectable  one  in  the  county,, 
and  I  fear  that  the  same  remark  is  still  too  true  ;  for  a 
decent  provision  for  schools  has  hardly  yet  been  made  in 
any  district  of  the  county.  And  I  don't  mean  to  be  un- 
derstood that  the  Crown  Point  school  house  is  at  all 
worthy  the  name  of  a  decent  one  for  the  place,  for  it  is 
not;  although  it  is  better  than  the  little  old  blank  log 
cabin  which  was  in  use  previous  to  the  building  of  this 
one."  Now,  if  the  writer  of  the  above  could  look  over 
the  county,  and  see  the  eighty-four  neat  and  commodi- 
ous school  houses,  attend  a  teachers'  examination,  and 
an  institute,  and  visit  some  of  the  schools  when  in  ses- 
sion, he  would  find  a  very  marked  improvement.  The 
days  of  the  log  school  houses  and  the  oiled  paper  win- 
dows in  Lake  county  are  past. 

One  more  contrast  may  be  presented.  The  registering 
of  claims  ceased  in  1837  ;  about  five  hundred  names  are 
attached  to  the  Constitution  of  the  Squatters'  Union, 
some  of  these  however  were  in  what  became  Poter 
county;  and  of  our  five  hundred  square  miles  of  surface,, 
one  hundred  sections  in  the  north  part  were  considered 
for  several  years  to  be  unfit  for  cultivation  and  almost 
worthless,  and  seventy-five  more  lay  in  the  Kankakee 
marsh ;  yet,  when  I  first  looked  over  the  county  as  a  boy, 
in  1837,  the  large  prairie  region,  of  some  two  hundred 
and  fifty  square  miles,  was  almost  unbroken  by  fence  or 
furrow.  The  smoke  of  no  cabin  curled  upward  over  the 
open  prairie,  no  domestic  animal  was  seen  at  any  distance 


FACTS    AND    FIGURES.  jgf 

from  the  groves  and  the  woodland,  all  life  except  the 
wild  life  was  confined  to  the  sheltering  shade  of  the  oak 
and  the  hickory  trees.  But  now,  in  the  very  centre  of 
our  largest  prairies  are  farm  houses,  and  gardens,  and 
orchards,  and  the  large  pasture  grounds  of  twenty  years 
ago  are  all  enclosed  by  fence  or  hedge.  The  droves  of 
cattle  first  pressed  outward  over  the  green  savannahs  and 
man  followed.  The  cattle  destroyed  the  polar  plants,  and 
the  prairie  dock,  and  the  immense  beds  of  flowers,  and 
cropped  to  the  earth  the  grass  that  once  grew  so  tall. 
The  wild  prairie  beauty  long  since  departed.  Time  was 
when  we  could  roam  these  wilds  along  many  and  many  a 
mile ;  the  grass  tall,  waving,  and  trackless ;  the  phlox 
of  different  colors,  as  elegant  and  as  luxuriant  as  in  East- 
ern cultivated  garden  beds,  in  almost  boundless  profus- 
ion ;  the  other  bright-colored  native  flowers  abundant  in 
July,  and  August,  and  September ;  the  tall  polar  plant, 
with  its  sunflower  stalk  from  five  to  seven  feet  in  height, 
and  its  clusters  of  yellow  blossoms,  and  its  bottom  leaves 
two  and  three  feet  in  height,  forming  a  continuous  suc- 
cession of  rich  forest-like  herbage  of  bright  yellow  and 
green  ;  every  now  and  then  scaring  up  the  grouse,  the 
quick,  thundering  sound  of  whose  wings  would  startle 
both  horse  and  rider;  occasionally  coming  near  to  a  wolf 
and  sending  him  away  on  a  low  and  not  rapid  lope  ;  and 
again  seeing  at  a  distance  the  tall  sand-hill  cranes,  and 
sometimes  even  a  herd  of  bounding  deer.  But  now  all 
is  changed  except  the  contour  of  the  ground.  Lake 
Prairie  was  nearly  all  enclosed,  no  range  left  for  stock,  in 
1870.  The  prairie,  northeast  of  Crown  Point,  was  so 
fenced  up,  as  to  make  the  road  a  continuous  lane,  in  187 1. 


198  LAKE    COUNTY. 

And  this  year,  1872,  with  the  long  lines  of  wire  and 
board  fence  erected  by  Judge  Niles,  and  others,  sees  the 
broad  southern  portion  of  Robinson's  Prairie  nearly  all 
enclosed.  The  appearance  of  the  prairie  of  1872  is 
vastly  unlike  that  of  1834.  Farms  and  neat  residences 
dot  it  all  over  now.  It  was  in  its  native  wildness  and 
beauty  then.  A  sweeping  prairie  fire  can  be  seen  no 
more.  The  prairie  hens  find  few  places  in  which  to  make 
their  nests,  and  are  almost  destroyed  ;  the  wolves  have 
few  mounds  left  in  whose  sides  to  make  their  dens.  The 
timid  deer  has  become  a  stranger  to  its  old  haunts  and 
would  not  know  its  once  safe  retreats.  The  wild  fowls 
in  the  spring  and  fall  still  darken  our  waters,  but  they 
rear  their  young  amid  the  surroundings  of  other  regions 
now.  Among  our  northern  sand  hills  is  heard  nearly 
every  hour  the  steam  whistle ;  across  our  prairies  there 
courses  rapidly  and  frequently  the  iron-horse  ;  on  the 
Kankakee  islands  and  in  the  marsh  itself  settlements  are 
now  made ;  and  soon  the  engines  will  be  running  and 
drawing  their  ponderous  burdens  through  that  once  al- 
most impenetrable  morass  that  skirts  our  southern  bor- 
der. No  wonder  the  wild  geese  and  swan  seek  other 
summer  haunts  where  they  may  rest  in  solitude  and  hear 
no  screams  except  their  own. 


INCIDENT    AND    ITEMS.  I99 


CHAPTER  X. 

INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS. 

In  this  chapter  and  under  the  above  heading  will  be 
found  a  variety  of  facts  that  have  found  no  place  for  in- 
sertion elsewhere,  and  yet  seem  to  me  worthy  of  record 
as  carrying  out  the  design  of  this  work.  Some  of  them 
are  of  special,  and  I  trust  most  of  them  will  prove  to  be 
of  general  interest.  In  the  first  sketch  will  be  found  a 
notice  of  one  of  our  relics  of  the  past. 

CEDAR    LAKE 1670  OR   1680. 

Two  hundred  years  ago !  Who  lived  around  those 
waters  then  .''  Who  admired  the  summer  and  autumn 
beauty  which  nature  has  lavished  so  richly  there.'  Who 
can  tell  anything  of  that  dim  past  ?  The  mementoes  of 
that  age  are  silent.  They  are  the  water  and  the  sands 
upon  the  shore,  the  unchanged  banks,  the  ancient  oaks,  the 
pebbles,  and  the  few  old  rocks.  From  one  of  these  ma- 
jestic oaks  a  different  memento  and  witness  has  been 
obtained. 

THE    NAIL. 

It  is  called  a  nail,  but  for  what  it  was  made,  or  how, 
or  by  whom  used,  what  human  witness  can  testify  .'  None. 
Surely  none.     It  was  found  some  twenty  years  ago  in  or 


200  LAKE    COUNTY. 

near  the  heart  of  an  oak,  outside  of  which  were  layers 
of  wood  one  hundred  and  seventy.  According  to  the 
method  of  calculation  employed  by  woodmen,  about  two 
hundred  years  ago  this  small  instrument  of  steel,  now  in 
the  possession  of  Mrs.  M.  J.  Cutler,  at  Kankakee,  found 
a  lodging  place  in  that  then  young  oak.  It  is  about  one 
inch  and  a  quarter  in  length.  The  shaft  is  round,  about 
the  size  of  the  large  end  of  a  clay  pipe  stem.  The  head 
on  the  top  is  flat  and  very  smooth,  and,  besides  this  sur- 
face, it  has  twelve  small  plain  sides,  each  smooth  and  well 
wrought.  The  point  end  is  not  a  point,  but  has  an  edge 
like  an  axe.  It  is  supposed  to  be  of  European  workman- 
ship, but  the  hands  that  made  it,  unquestionably  human 
hands  and  skillful  hands,  have  long  since  been  dust,  and. 
the  shop  where  it  was  made  has  probably  long  ago  ceased 
to  be  a  European  workshop.  But  how  came  it  at  Cedar 
Lake  two  hundred  years  ago  ?  Did  not  Indians  then 
roam  through  these  woods,  catch  fish  in  the  waters,  pad- 
dle their  canoes  over  the  lake,  and  pitch  their  wigwams 
on  its  banks  ?  It  was  only  fifty  years  after  the  Pilgrims 
landed  at  Plymouth  Rock.  Had  articles  of  English  man- 
ufacture gone  westward  then  a  thousand  miles .''  Had 
this  identical  piece  of  steel  indeed  come  over  in  the  May 
Flower,  coming  at  length  into  the  hands  of  descendants 
of  the  Puritans,  who,  some  two  hundred  years  after  that 
landing  sought  a  home  in  the  free,  wild  West  ?  It  might 
have  been  so.  Perhaps  Indian  women  used  it  to  cut 
holes  in  the  deer  hides  and  buffalo  robes,  in  which  ta 
place  the  sinews  or  strips  of  bark  with  which  they  sewed 
together  the  coverings  of  their  wigwams,  the  skins  that 
formed  their  couches,  the  mantles  for  their  winter  cover- 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  20I 

ing.  And  perhaps  some  toil-worn  mother,  or  young 
maiden  learning  the  simple  domestic  handicraft  that 
would  fit  her  for  the  duties  of  a  wife  to  a  red  warrior  in 
the  Red  Cedar  haunts,  placed  the  instrument  in  the  bark 
of  a  sapling,  near  the  door  of  the  wigwam,  that  it  might 
be  out  of  reach  of  the  little  boys  eager  to  use  and  appro- 
priate articles  as  rare  as  this  must  have  there  been ;  and, 
in  the  hurry  of  a  sudden  departure,  when  the  tents  were 
struck,  and  ponies  loaded,  this  little  instrument  was  for- 
gotten. And  having  crossed  the  ocean,  and  penetrated 
a  thousand  miles  into  the  deep  American  wilds,  nature 
reclaimed  its  own,  and  not  the  earth  but  the  wood,  cov- 
ered it  from  human  eyes,  took  it  out  from  the  range  of 
human  hands.  Perhaps!  But  who  can  tell  its  story  ? 
It  has  no  tongue  to  speak  ;  but  it  says  white  man  made, 
European  tools  probably  fashioned,  hammer,  and  anvil, 
and  forge  gave  it  form.  And  the  tree  says,  about  two 
Jiundred  years  I 

But  again;  perhaps  white  man's  hands  not  only  fash- 
ioned this  instrument  but  also  put  it  into  the  young  oak. 
Perhaps  a  white  man  looked  upon  the  lake  of  the  Red 
Cedars  within  sixty  years  after  the  landing  on  Plymouth 
Rock.  What  says  authentic  history  }  A  Genoese  navi- 
gator, in  Spanish  vessels,  discovered  in  1492  the  New 
World.  An  English  explorer,  a  Cabot,  in  1499,  sailed 
along  the  North  American  coast.  A  Spanish  settlement 
was  first  made  in  1565.  A  permanent  English  settlement 
was  commenced  in  1607.  The  Dutch  first  settled  on 
American  soil  in  1614.  New  England  settlements  began 
in  1620.  But  the  English  remained  along  the  Atlantic 
coast.     The  Spanish  kept  along  the  Gulf  and  up  the  Mis- 


202  LAKE    COUNTY. 

sissippi.  The  Northwest  seems  to  have  been  first  explored 
by  the  French.  By  them  Detroit  was  commenced  in 
1670,  some  two  hundred  years  ago. 

Two  distinguished  names  of  those  then  exploring 
Western  wilds  are  La  Salle  and  Hennepin.  Louis  Hen- 
nepin was  a  Franciscan.  His  name  may  be  found  in  the 
records  of  events  in  Europe  in  the  seventeenth  century. 
He  came  to  America.  He  joined  La  Salle's  expedition, 
which  set  forth  in  1679.  The  voyagers  passed  through 
lakes  Erie,  Huron,  and  Michigan,  to  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Joseph's  river.  They  ascended  that  river  in  canoes 
to  the  portage.  They  carried  these  across  five  or  six 
miles  to  the  Kankakee.  They  passed  down  that  river, 
and  down  the  Iroquois,  to  the  Illinois,  and  to  the  place, 
or  near  the  place,  now  called  Peoria.  La  Salle  returned 
to  Fort  Frontenac  for  supplies.  He  instructed  Flenne- 
pin  to  explore.  In  February,  1680,  Hennepin  set  out  in 
a  canoe  on  a  voyage  of  discovery.  He  followed  the  Illi- 
nois to  its  mouth,  ascended  the  Mississippi  to  the  falls  of 
St.  Anthony,  upon  which  he  was  the  first  European  to 
look,  reaching  this  point  April  30,  1680.  He  traveled 
for  some  hundred  and  eighty  miles  along  a  river  which 
he  called,  in  honor  of  his  patron,  St.  Francis,  and  visited 
the  Sioux  Indians.  Remained  about  three  months,  ac- 
cording to  his  account  a  captive.  He  met  then  a  party 
of  Frenchmen  who  came  by  way  of  Lake  Superior,  re- 
turned with  them  to  Canada,  sailed  from  Quebec  to 
France,  and  published,  in  1683,  an  account  of  La  Salle's 
expedition  and  his  own  explorations. 

According  to  the  calculations  made  it  was  about  the 
time  of  this  expedition,  under  La  Salle,  that  our  nail  was 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  203 

placed  in  the  young  oak.  But  it  does  not  appear  that 
Hennepin  saw  Cedar  Lake.  He  made  a  circuit  around 
it,  but  his  recorded  route  passed  no  nearer  than  some 
fifteen  miles.  Let  us  turn  to  La  Salle.  He  left  at  or 
near  Peoria  to  return  to  Erie,  and  Niagara,. and  Fort 
Frontenac.  Did  he  return  up  the  Kankakee  .''  Or  did 
he  vary  his  route  a  little  northward,  arriving  at  the  head 
of  Cedar  Lake,  camping  on  that  height  for  a  night,  and 
first  among  white  men  did  he  look  upon  that  sheet  of 
water  ?  Or  if  not  he,  some  others  of  those  roving 
Frenchmen  may  have  reached  that  spot  in  their  expedi- 
tions, a  spot  from  whence  one  might  journey  to  Lake  Erie 
through  woods,  almost  continuous  woods,  and  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi without  coming  under  the  shadow  of  a  tree,  over 
a  pathless  prairie.  The  hand  of  a  Frenchman  evidently 
may  have  inserted  this  instrument  of  steel  into  the  grow- 
ing oak.  But  for  what .''  Was  it  left  by  accident,  or  left 
by  design  ?  Was  it  intended  as  a  signal  for  some  other 
explorer,  as  a  memento,  as  a  token  of  some  kind,  to  in- 
form a  brother  of  some  mystic  order,  that  another  had 
there  stood,  or  suffered,  or  sorrowed  7  Did  its  thirteen 
faces  speak  a  language  .?  Conjecture  alone  remains.  Re- 
corded history  says  nothing  that  will  offer  an  explanation. 
It  may  tell  of  useful  work,  of  weeks  and  months  of  toil- 
some wanderings,  of  bloodshed,  of  massacre,  of  a  human 
life  going  out  there  in  sight  of  the  blue  water  two  hun- 
dred years  ago. 

This  much  is  sure.  French  explorers  passed  near  Ce- 
dar Lake  at  that  time  ;  the  Indians  certainly  lived  there 
and  had  some  intercourse  with  the  French.  I  imagine 
La  Salle  himself,  standing  on   that  height,  and  for  some 


204  LAKE    COUNTY. 

purpose,  which  we  can  never  know,  inserting  that  instru- 
ment of  steel  within  the  bark  of  the  young  oak.  And 
now,  two  hundred  years  afterward,  into  the  hands  of 
children  of  the  West,  descendants  of  English  Puritans 
and  French  Huguenots,  that  durable  metallic  memento 
has  come,  perchance,  from  the  hand  of  that  noted  explorer, 
the  French  La  Salle. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  THE   FIRST    RECORD    BOOK    OF    BOARD    OF 
COMMISSIONERS    OF    LAKE    COUNTY. 

"  MEMORANDUM — FORMATION   OF    THE    COUNTY. 

"By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  approved  on  the  28th 
day  of  January,  1836,  the  county  of  Lake  was  erected 
out  of  the  counties  of  Porter  and  Newton,  and  comprises 
all  that  tract  lying  west  of  the  centre  of  Range  seven 
West,  and  North  of  the  Kankakee  River,  which  contains 
about  Five  Hundred  Sections  of  land." 

Until  February  15,  1837,  it  was  attached  to  Porter 
county. 

ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    COUNTY. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved  on  the  i8th 
day  of  January,  1837,  the  county  was  declared  to  be  an 
independent  county  after  the  15th  day  of  February,  1837. 

On  the  8th  day  of  March,  1837,  Henry  Wells  was  com- 
missioned Sheriff,  and  by  order  of  a  writ  of  election  to 
him  directed,  due  notice  as  the  law  directs,  being  given, 
an  election  was  held  on  the  28th  day  of  March,  at  the 
Tiouse  of  Samuel  D.  Bryant,  under  the  direction  of  E.  W. 
Bryant,  inspector ;  and  at  the  house  of  R.  Eddy,  under 
the  direction  of  William  Clark,  inspector;  and  at  the 
house  of  A.  L.  Ball,  under  the  direction  of  Wm.  S.  Thorn- 
bury,  inspector  ;  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  Clerk  of 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  205 

the  Circuit  Court,  and  a  Recorder  of  the  County,  and 
two  Associate  Judges,  and  three  Commissioners  of  the 
County. 

By  the  returns  from  the  several  polls,  duly  made  to  the 
Sheriff,  on  Wednesday,  the  29th  of  March,  it  appeared 
that  for  the  office  of  Clerk,  Solon  Robinson  had  thirty- 
eight  votes;  D.  Y.  Bond  had  twenty-one  votes;  and  L. 
A.  Fowler  had  seventeen  votes;  and  Solon  Robinson  was 
declared  to  be  duly  elected. 

For  the  office  of  Recorder,  William  A.  W.  Holton  had 
fifty  votes,  and  J.  V.  Johns  had  twenty-two  votes.  And 
said  Holton  was  declared  duly  elected. 

For  the  offices  of  Associate  Judges,  William  B.  Crooks 
had  fifty-one  votes ;  William  Clark  had  fifty  votes  ;  Sam- 
uel D.  Bryant  had  twenty-eight  votes ;  Horace  Taylor, 
one  vote;  and  said  Crooks  and  Clark  were  declared  duly 
elected. 

For  the  offices  of  County  Commissioners,  Amsi  L. 
Ball  had  seventy-eight  votes  ;  S.  P.  Stringham,  and  Thos. 
Wiles  each  had  fifty-nine  votes.  The  tie  being  decided 
by  lot  as  the  law  directs.  Amsi  L.  Ball  was  declared 
duly  elected  for  the  term  of  three  years ;  Thomas  Wiles 
was  declared  duly  elected  for  the  term  of  two  years;  S. 
P.  Stringham  was  declared  duly  elected  for  the  term  of 
one  year.  The  said  Commissioners,  being  duly  commis- 
sioned by  the  Sheriff,  appointed  the  5th  day  of  April  for 
the  first  meeting  of  the  board  to  be  held  at  the  house  of 
Solon  Robinson,  the  place  appointed  by  law  for  holding 

the  Courts  of  the  County. 

"S.  P.  Stringham,  P.  B." 

The  first  meeting  of  this  first  Board  of  Commissioners 
was  held  April  5,  1837. 
17 


2o6  LAKE    COUNTY. 

They  appointed  Solon  Robinson  for  their  Clerk; 
adopted  a  county  seal;  appointed  John  Russell  Assessor ; 
divided  the  county  into  three  commissioner's  districts 
and  three  townships,  the  townships  having  the  same 
bounds  as  the  districts  and  being  named  North,  Cen- 
tre, and  South ;  ordered  elections  for  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  each  township  ;  appointed  Inspectors,  and 
Constables,  and  Fence  A^iewers,  and  Overseers  of  the 
Poor  for  each  township ;  and  formed  road  districts 
and  appointed  Supervisors.  They  also,  at  their  sec- 
ond day's  session  fixed  the  constable's  bonds  at  three 
hundred  dollars ;  appointed  J  W.  Holton  Treasurer  of 
the  County,  and  Milo  Robinson  Trustee  of  the  Semi- 
nary Fund,  and  Agent  of  the  Three  per  Cent.  Fund, 'fixing 
the  bond  of  the  latter,  as  Agent,  at  three  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  as  Trustee  at  two  hundred,  and  of  the  former, 
as  Treasurer,  at  two  thousand  dollars.  They  ordered 
the  Clerk  to  issue  a  summons  to  Samuel  Haviland  to  show 
cause  why  his  ferry  license  should  not  be  abated,  and 
made  provision  for  county  maps. 

They  ordered  a  bounty  of  one  dollar  on  wolf  scalps. 

They  instructed  the  Sheriff  to  prevent  any  person  from 
taking  pine  timber  away  from  the  i)ublic  or  school  lands  of 
the  county,  and  to  bring  such  offenders  to  justice. 

They  made  arrangements  for  Grand,  and  Petit  Jurors 
for  a  fall  term  of  Circuit  Court,  gave  some  special  instruc- 
tions to  the  Clerk,  and  adjourned  until  May  of  the  same 
year. 

A  certificate  of  one  dollar  wolf  scalp  bounty  was 
granted  to  W.  W.  Paine,  April  20,  1837,  payable  April  i, 
1839. 


INXIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  207 

At  the  May  Term  the  Commissioners  granted  a  license 
to  Vincent  Matthews,  to  keep  a  ferry  across  the  Calumet 
River,  charging  for  the  license  two  dollars,  and  establish- 
ing rates  of  toll,  for  a  footman  six  and  a  fourth  cents  ;  for 
man  and  horse  twelve  and  a  half;  for  a  horse  and  wagon 
and  passengers,  twenty-five  cents ;  for  two  horses  and  the 
same,  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents  ;  and  for  cattle,  horses, 
sheep,  and  hogs,  three  cents  per  head.  This  ferry  was 
near  the  Illinois  line. 

They  also  granted  license  to  Henry  Frederickson,  Xa^ 
thaniel  Davis,  and  John  B.  Chapman,  proprietors,  of 
Liverpool,  "  to  keep  a  ferry  on  and  over  Deep  River,  in 
said  town,"  charging  them  ten  dollars,  and  fixing  some 
ower  rates  of  toll;  and  they  granted  license  to  A.  P.. 
Bucklin,  and  Foster  Murdock,  to  keep  a  tavern  in  the 
Itown  of  Liverpool.     This  license  fee  was  also  ten  dollars 

They  appointed  Wm.  N.  Sykes  County  Surveyor,  and 
Henry  Wells,  Collector  of  State'  and  County  Revenue. 

They  granted  licenses   to  keep  tavern  on  the  "  Beach 
of  Lake  Michigan"  and  "the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,"' 
to  Horace  Stevens,  John  Craig,  and   Hannah   Berry,  on 
the  payment  of  six  dollars  each. 

I  am  unable  to  ascertain  where  Hannah  Berry  kept  her 
tavern,  but  perhaps  it  was  near  Berry  Lake,  called  on 
some  maps,  as  I  think  inaccurately.  Lake  George.  The 
proper  Lake  George  is  laid  down  north-east  from  Dyer, 
"water  from  one  to  eight  feet  deep."  See  Colton's  Map 
of  Indiana. 

The  Commissioners  also  granted  licenses  to  S.  J.  Cady, 
and  David  Gibson,  for  six  dollars  each,  to  keep  taverns 
on  the  Sand  Ridge  Road.     These  two  names  and  places 


208  LAKE    COUNTY. 

are    yet    quite  well  known.     The  tavern   stands  on  the 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan  are  obliterated. 

The  Commissioners  also  appointed  Township  Trustees 
for  the  following  Congressional  townships  : 

Thirty-two,  Range  nine,  Simeon  Beedle,  John  ^NIcLain, 
Horace  Wood. 

Thirty-three,  Range  nine,  Jacob  Mendenhall,  Thomas 
Wiles,  D.  M.  Dille. 

Thirty-four,  Range  nine,  P.  S.  Mason,  David  Hornor, 
Daniel  May. 

Thirty-three,    Range  eight,    E.    W.    Bryant,    Ephraim 
Hitchcock,  Orrin  Smith. 

Thirty-four,  Range  eight,  Joseph  P.  Smith,  J.  W.  Hol- 
ton,  Milo  Robinson. 

Thirty-five,  Range  eight,  Jonathan  Brown,  H.  D.  Pal- 
:mer,  Jeremiah  Wiggins. 

Thirty-four,  Range  seven,  L.  Hixon, Thayer, 

I^indsey. 

Thirty-five,  Range  seven,  John  Wood,  Robert  Wilkin- 
son, Wm.  Hodson. 

Thirty-six,  Range  nine,  George  Whittemore,  S.  J.  Cady, 
and  Wm.  N.  Sykes. 

Road  Viewers  were  also  appointed  to  serve  without 
compensation. 

One  Stephen  Smith  was  found  retailing  spiritous  liq- 
uors without  license,  and  the  Sheriff  was  ordered  to 
attend  to  him.  Arrangements  were  made  for  building 
bridges,  and  other  matters  were  arranged,  and  the  Board 
adjourned.  Record.  "May  15.  Smith  appeared  and 
demanded  a  license  on  an  insufficient  petition.  Re- 
fused." 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  209 

May  29. — Licenses  granted  to  Stephen  Smith,  J.  S. 
Dille,  and  Thomas  M.  Dustin,  to  sell  foreign  and  domes- 
tic groceries,  and  to  Robinson  &  Co.,  and  Calvin  Lilley, 
to  sell  foreign  and  domestic  groceries,  and  dry  goods. 
Cost  of  each  license,  five  dollars.  License  was  also 
granted  to  Calvin  Lilley  to  keep  a  tavern  at  Cedar  Lake. 
Cost,  fifteen  dollars.  Why  he  was  required  to  pay  more 
than  the  others  does  not  appear.  His  was  probably  a 
large  hotel. 

On  the  same  day  the  sum  of  forty-five  dollars  was  al- 
lowed to  John  Russell  for  assessing  the  county. 

May  30. — Joseph  P.  Smith  was  appointed  School  Com- 
missioner, and  S.  P.  Stringham,  Surplus  Revenue  Agent. 

June  19. — Permit  granted  to  Russel  Stilson  to  re- 
tail goods,  and  keep  a  tavern  in  Liverpool. 

July  17. — Permit  granted  to  Benjamin  Rich  to  keep  a 
tavern  in  Liverpool. 

July  31. — Permit  to  Samuel  Miller  to  retail  foreign 
merchandise  at  his  store  on  Deep  River. 

In  August,  1837,  was  held  the  first  "general  election. 
Candidates  for  State  Senator  that  year  were  :  J.  H.  Brad- 
ley, who  received  forty-nine  votes ;  and  C.  Cathcart,  who 
received  eighty-six  votes. 

The  candidates  for  Representatives  were:  J.  Hammell, 
of  Porter,  who  received  sixty-five  votes ;  and  A.  L.  Ball, 
of  Lake,  who  received  seventy  votes. 

The  candidates  for  Probate  Judge  were:  Peleg  S. 
Mason,  who  received  thirty-five  votes  ;  and  R.  Wilkin- 
son, who  received  sixty-six  votes. 

H.  S.  Pelton  was  elected  School  Commissioner,  and 
Luman  A.  Fowler,  Sheriff. 


2IO  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Milo  Robinson  had  been  appointed  County  Agent 
June  5th. 

November  i6. — Liverpool  ferry  license  revoked. 

November  17. — Abner  Stillson,  Jr.,  was  appointed,  un- 
der certain  provisions,  to  keep  the  Liverpool  ferry. 

The  same  day  a  new  county  seal  was  adopted,  "  the 
impress  of  which  represents  a  ship  under  full  sail  upon 
water,  and  a  foreground  with  a  plow  and  sheaf,  and  sur- 
rounded by  these  words,  '  Lake  County  Circuit  Court, 
Indiana.' " 

January  i,  1838. — Joseph  Jackson  received  a  license 
to  retail  foreign  goods  and  dry  groceries,  in  the  south- 
west part  of  the  county,  '"  on  a  capital  not  exceeding  one 
thousand  dollars."  Cost  of  license  five  dollars.  This 
seems  to  be  the  first  of  the  early  merchants  whose  capi- 
tal the  Commissioners  saw  fit  to  limit. 

PETER    OLSEX    DIJSTERND. 

Under  date  of  this  same,  January  i,  I  find  the  follow- 
ing : 

"  That  the  Board  will  take  the  several  accounts  of  the 
Overseers  of  the  Poor  of  Centre  Township,  presented  for 
expense  of  a  transient  pauper,  deceased,  at  Aaron  Cox's, 
under  advisement  until  to-morrow  morning." 

January  2. — Or^/ered,  "  That  the  sum  of  thirteen  dol- 
lars be  allowed  Aaron  Cox ;  that  the  sum  of  twelve  dol- 
lars be  allowed  Jonathan  Griffin  ;  that  the  sum  of  four 
dollars  be  allowed  Horace  Egerton  ;  that  the  sum  of  two 
dollars  be  allowed  Calvin  Lilly;  in  all,  thirty-one  dollars, 
on  account  expense  of  Peter  Oleson,  a  transient  pauper, 
under  charge  of  Overseers  of  Poor  of  Centre  Township." 

REMARKS. 

I  am  sorry  to  see,  with  my  knowledge  of  the  facts,  the 


INXIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  211 

names  of  old  neighbors  and  friends  in  such  an  account 
as  the  above.  For  their  sakes  I  would  gladly  have  left  it 
in  oblivion ;  but  justice  and  right  are  sacred  things,  and 
I  propose  to  do  that  justice  to  Peter  O.  Dijsternd,  which 
I  would  wish,  in  like  circumstances,  paid  to  my  own 
memory.  He  was  a  young  Norwegian,  of  fine  appear- 
ance, well  connected  in  life,  passing  through  this  region 
as  a  traveler,  endeavoring  to  reach  a  settlement  further 
on  towards  the  southwest.  He  was  traveling  with  an- 
other man  in  a  buggy,  and,  being  too  sick  to  continue 
his  journey,  was  left  at  the  house  of  Aaron  Cox.  The 
other  traveler  went  on  his  way.  Peter  O.  Dijsternd  was 
unable  to  talk  English ;  he  might  have  had  better  care 
and  attention  than  he  did  receive  ;  and  in  a  few  days  he 
died.  I  saw  his  body  buried,  and,  as  an  observing 
and  pitying  boy  of  eleven  years  of  age  heard  some 
of  the  side  remarks.  All  the  care  and  attention 
which  he  received  was  no  more,  was  not  so  much  in 
fact,  surely  no  more  than  Western  hospitality  demanded 
from  strangers  to  a  sick  and  suffering  stranger.  And 
more.  Aaron  Cox  soon  afterward  went  southward,  and 
after  he  returned,  in  some  conversation  where  I  was  a 
boy  listener,  he,  in  mentioning  inquiries  or  remarks  about 
this  young  Norwegian,  made  where  he  had  been,  drop- 
ped tlie  expression  that  he  "never  let  on."  It  was  then 
to  me  a  new  hoosierism,  and  I  wondered  what  it  meant. 
I  know  its  meaning  and  can  guess  its  significancy  now. 
Surmises  only  I  do  not  propose  here  to  give.  But  still 
more.  When  the  news  of  Olsen's  death  reached  his  uncle 
in  New  York  City,  that  uncle,  Peter  Sather,  a  broker  of 
.means,  intelligence,  and  culture,  came  to   Cedar  Lake  ; 


212  LAKE    COUNTY. 

learned  what  particulars  he  could  concerning  his  neph- 
ew's sickness,  death,  and  burial ;  purchased,  as  elsewhere 
stated,  the  ground  where  he  was  buried ;  and  returned  to 
New  York.  Before  me  now  lies  the  slip  on  which  he 
wrote  his  own  address,  "  Peter  Sather.  Exchange  Broker, 
164  Nassau  street.  New  York;"  and  his  nephew's  full 
name,  "  Peder  Olsen  Dijsternd,  from  Norway."  Now,  I 
am  sure  that  the  uncle  who  would  leave  his  business  as 
an  exchange  broker,  in  New  York,  and  incur  the  expense 
of  a  journey  to  Cedar  Lake,  at  that  early  day,  to  learn 
something  about  the  death  and  burial  of  a  young  nephew 
who  was  probably  just  over  from  Norway  and  penetrating 
into  the  West  to  find  a  home,  was  not  the  man  to  have 
refused  to  pay  any  proper  charges  connected  with  a  lone, 
friendless,  sickness,  death,  and  burial ;  and  the  young 
Norwegian  stranger,  whose  dust  reposes  in  a  mound  near 
Cedar  Lake,  having  such  an  uncle,  was  not  a  man  whose 
mutilated  name  ought  to  stand  upon  our  official  records 
as  a  ''''  transient  pauper^''  whose  sickness,  and  medical  at- 
tendance, and  burial,  cost  the  county  of  Lake  the  sum  of 
thirty-one  dollars.  It  must  have  been  a  pauper  s  care  and 
a  pauper  s  burial  that  he  received.  It  is  not  reasonable 
that  this  young  Norwegian  left  his  uncle's  office  in  New 
York,  to  journey  westward,  without  money  or  its  equiva- 
lent. Whatbecame  of  his  means  I  know  not;  but  I  pro- 
pose here  to  take  out  his  name  from  the  list  of  the  pau- 
pers of  Lake.  Justice  was  not  done  to  him  by  those  in 
whose  hands  he  died.  I  claim  for  his  memory  and  rest- 
ing place  the  respect  and  care  which  are  justly  and  richly 
due.  Well  as  I  remember  that  first  burial  witnessed  at 
Cedar  Lake,  but  a  day  or  two  after   I  became  a  resident 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  21 3, 

of  the  county,  and  how  much  a  small  group  of  new  set- 
tlers pitied  the  sad,  untimely,  death  of  that  fine  appear- 
ing young  foreigner  ;  and  distinctly  as  I  remember  the 
circumstances  of  the  visit  of  the  courteous,  gentlemanly 
broker  from  New  York  ;  I  had  no  thought,  till  reaching 
the  written  page  before  me,  that  such  accounts  were  ever 
presented  to  our  Commissioners.  I  hope  not  to  die 
among  those  who  cannot  understand  my  speech ;  or 
among  those  who  could  not  give  me  shelter  for  three  or 
four  days,  and  then  commit  my  lifeless  dust  to  the  earth, 
without  calling  me  a  transient  pauper.  For  the  credit  of 
Lake  county  civilization  I  disclaim  this  record. 
I  here  close  the  Commissioners'  Record  Book. 

FROM    A    PAGE    OF    THE    CLAIM    REGISTER. 
"  LAKE    COUNTY. 

"This  county  contains  508  sections  of  land,  about  400 
of  which  are  dry,  tillable  ground.  To  find  the  exact  geo- 
graphical centre  of  the  county  draw  a  line  east  and  west 
through  the  centre  of  Section  8,  Town  34,  Range  8,  and 
it  will  be  found  that  the  south  part  contains  three  sec- 
tions more  than  the  north  half.  Then  draw  a  line  north 
and  south  through  the  centre  of  the  same  Section  8,  and 
it  will  be  found  that  the  west  half  contains  69  sections 
more  than  the  east  half.  Now  take  the  N.  E.  quarter  of 
the  county  as  divided  by  the  aforesaid  supposed  lines, 
which  contains  1081^  sections,  and  add  it  to  the  S.  W. 
quarter,  which  contains  144^  sections,  and  253  sections 
will  be  found  as  the  quantity  contained  in  these  two  quar- 
ters of  the  county. 

"  Then  take  the  S.  E.  quarter,which  contains  iio3/[  sec- 
tions, and  add   it  to   the  N.  W.  quarter,  which  contains 


214  LAKE    COUNTY. 

1441^  sections,  and  255  sections  will  be  found  as  the 
quantity  contained  in  these  two  quarters  of  the  county  ; 
which  is  a  difference  of  only  two  sections  from  making 
the  aforesaid  centre  of  Section  8,  the  true  geographical 
centre  of  the  county. 

"  The  tillable  land  is  as  equally  divided  between  the 
aforesaid  supposed  quarters  of  the  county." 

THE    TEN    MILE    LINE. 

In  some  of  the  deeds  to  be  found  in  the  Recorder's 
Office  is  the  following  boundary  description: 

"South  of  Ten  Mile  Line  on  Section  Thirty-two."  A 
•question  arises,  What  is  meant  by  this   Ten   Mile  Line  ? 

On  Field  Note  Records  in  the  Recorder's  Office,  page 
53,  is  the  following  explanation  of  a  line  drawn  east  and 
west,  "  South  Boundary  of  Ten  Mile  Purchase."  On 
page  54  of  the  same  Records  this  same  line  is  called 
"  Indiana  Boundary  Line."  The  following  is  evidently 
the  explanation  of  the  two  names  for  the  one  line.  In 
the  Constitution  of  Indiana,  Article  XIV.,  Boundaries,  it 
is  ordained  and  declared  that  the  State  of  Indiana  is 
bounded  on  the  east  by  the  western  meridian  line  of 
Ohio ;  on  the  south  by  the  Ohio  River  from  the  Great 
Miami  to  the  Wabash  ;  on  the  west  by  the  Wabash  River 
till  leaving  the  main  bank  on  a  line  due  north  from  Vin- 
cennes,  "  thence,  by  a  due  north  line,  until  the  same  shall 
intersect  an  east  and  west  line,  drawn  through  a  point  ten 
miles  north  of  the  southern  extreme  of  Lake  Michigan  ; 
on  the  north,  by  said  east  and  west  line,  until  the  same 
shall  intersect  the  first-mentioned  meridian  line,  which 
forms  the  western  boundary  of  the  State  of  Ohio."  It 
is  to  be  supposed  that  the  originators  of  this  west  boun- 


INCIDENT    AND    ITEMS.  215 

dary  line  expected  that  the  northwest  corner  of  Indiana 
would  be  on  or  near  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  but  it 
happens  to  be  some  distance  out  in  the  lake.  The  line 
drawn  from  the  extreme  south  part  of  Lake  Michigan 
to  the  west  line  of  the  State  is  therefore  an  "  Indiana 
Boundary  Line"  and  a  Ten  Mile  Line,  being  the  bound 
from  which  we  are  to  measure  ten  miles  northward  into 
Lake  Michigan  to  find  our  true  northern  limit. 

Again.  In  1828  there  was  acquired  by  treaty  with  the 
Pottawatomies  a  strip  of  land  ten  miles  in  width  aloflg 
the  northern  boundary  of  Indiana  extending,  in  a  narrow 
strip,  to  the  extreme  south  limit  of  Lake  Michigan.  The 
northern  boundary  of  the  State  being  then  the  same  as  de- 
fined by  the  Constitution,  it  is  evident  that  the  line  bound- 
ing the  southern  limit  of  this  first  purchase  would  meet  that 
other  line  at  the  south  limit  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  so 
both  would  form  a  continuous  straight  line.  The  east- 
ern part  of  this  line  in  our  county  is  therefore  justly 
called  "  South  Boundary  of  Ten  Mile  Purchase." 

According  to  Colton's  Map  of  Indiana,  "compiled  from 
United  States  surveys,"  a  north  and  south  line  in  Indiana 
has  quite  a  different  direction  from  a  north  and  south 
line  in  Illinois.  If  our  west  line  had  the  direction  from 
the  Wabash  River  northward  of  an  Illinois  north  and 
south  line.  South  Chicago  would  be  included  in  Lake 
county.  As  it  now  is,  the  northern  boundary  of  our 
county,  instead  of  being,  as  stated  in  Chapter  I,  of  this 
book,  the  beach  line  of  Lake  Michigan,  is  a  line  due  east 
and  west  on  the  surface  of  that  lake  ten  miles  north  of 
our  noted  "  Ten  Mile  Line."  All  the  fish  therefore  and 
fisheries  connected  with  some  one  hundred  and  twenty- 


2l6  LAKE    COUNTY. 

five  miles  of  Lake  Michigan  belong,  evidently,  to  the  in- 
habitants of  Lake. 

INDIAN    FLOATS. 

An  Indian  "  float  "  was  something  like  a  soldiers'  land 
warrant.  When  this  region  was  purchased  from  the  In- 
dians, instead  of  their  reserving  certain  definite  tracts  or 
parcels  of  land,  the  United  States  issued  to  some  of  their 
head  men  a  number  of  land  warrants  or  documents  called 
"  floats,"  by  the  possesion  of  which  they  were  authorized 
to  select  and  own  so  much  land  within  the  purchase,  un- 
der certain  restrictions.  It  is  said  that  section  eight,  on 
which  Crown  Point  now  stands,  was  selected  by  an  In- 
dian or  his  agent,  and  a  float  laid  upon  it ;  but  certain 
influences  induced  the  Land  Office  Agent  at  La  Porte  ta 
slip  the  float  over,  in  his  record,  on  to  section  seventeen. 
So  eight  was  entered  and  seventeen,  joining  it  on  the 
south,  went  into  the  hands  of  a  great  fur  trader.  Floats 
were  laid  on  only  some  ten  or  twelve  sections  of  land  in 
the  county,  and  most  of  these  were  near  the  Calumet. 

INDIAN    MOUNDS. 

Several  of  these  were  mentioned  in  Chapter  III.  I 
have  since  ascertained  that  there  were  very  many  in  the 
county,  on  the  islands  of  the  Kankakee  Marsh,  on  West 
Creek,  west  and  northwest  of  Centreville,  and  probably 
elsewhere.  Their  actual  number  no  one  can  now  deter- 
mine. Some  have  been  opened,  and  very  large  human 
bones  have  been  exhumed. 

VIEWS. 

For  a  prairie  region  we  have  a  few  picturesque,  and 
many  beautiful,  and  some  grand  landscape  views.  Near 
Lake  Station,  from  the  summit  of  a  sand  hill,  on  the  east 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  21 J 

side  of  the  road,  the  northward  view  on  a  clear  summer's 
afternoon,  contains  picturesque  elements.  The  eye  rests 
upon  a  part  of  the  valley  of  Deep  River;  and  just  be- 
yond is  the  village  of  Lake,  surrounded  by  hills  and 
woods,  the  fans  for  raising  water  reminding  one  of  Don 
Quixote's  windmills,  and  the  vegetation  giving  evidence 
of  the  beds  of  sand  from  which  it  derives  its  nourish- 
ment. 

The  railroad  grounds  are  the  largest  and  neatest  in 
the  county,  and  the  distance  is  just  sufficient  to  give  to 
the  buildings  a  fine  effect. 

Another  landscape  view,  picturesque  and  truly  pretty. 
appears  from  an  eminence  near  the  residence  of  W.  T. 
Dennis.  The  northward  view  is  of  a  small  section  of 
Deep  River  Valley,  which  there  resembles  a  New  Eng- 
land meadow;  thick  trees  skirt  the  river,  a  part  of  the 
interval  is  covered  with  willows  and  grape  vines,  another 
part  is  a  rich  harvest  field  and  meadow  land,  and  over 
the  whole  scene  the  summer's  sun  spreads  light  and 
beauty  amid  the  green  herbage,  and  foliage,  and  waving 
grain.  Of  those  views  containing  more  fully  the  ele- 
ments of  beauty  may  be  named  a  few  from  the  hill-tops 
of  North  Township,  the  sweep  of  vision  from  these  ta- 
king in  a  portion  of  Lake  ^Michigan's  blue  waters,  and 
the  pines,  and  sand  hills,  and  valleys  of  the  shore. 

Along  the  ridge  between  Deep  River  and  Turkey  Creek, 
as  one  comes  westward,  near  the  Red  School  House,  are 
some  fine  views.  Northward  the  eye  glances  over  the 
woodland  ridges  running  parallel  with  the  Calumet,  and 
southward  and  westward  it  takes  in  a  broad  sweep  of 
slightly    undulating    prairie.      From    this     ridge,    across 


2l8  LAKE    COUNTr. 

prairie  and  valley,  Crown  Point  presents  a  very  pleasant 
picture,  as  it  stands  forth  in  the  sunlight  upon  its  prairie 
and  wood-crowned  height.  This  town  also  presents  a 
fine  appearance,  against  the  blue  woods  back  of  it,  from 
a  summit  near  the  eastern  limit  of  the  county.  South  of 
the  east  line  of  Crown  Point,  along  the  north  and  south 
road  on  the  prairie,  are  some  very  fine,  perhaps  grand, 
landscape  views,  extending  over  a  niagnificently  rolling 
prairie,  and  across  the  dry  and  wet  marsh  to  the  Kanka- 
kee timber,  which  in  the  distance  presents  a  long  line  of 
blue.  On  Lake  Prairie  also  are  some  beautiful  pros- 
pects, from  some  of  the  large  eminences,  the  range  of 
vision  taking  in  the  whole  of  that  lovely  prairie,  bounded 
by  that  same  blue  line  on  the  south,  woods  on  the  west, 
Cedar  Creek  woods  on  the  east,  and  a  glimpse  being  ob- 
tained from  some  heights  of  the  bright  water  of  Cedar 
Lake  on  the  northeast,  if  the  sun  should  then  be  shining 
down  on  its  crystal  depths. 

Another  beautiful  prospect  appears,  amid  the  sum- 
mer's sunshine,  on  the  Joliet  road,  one-half  mile  west  of 
Centreville.  From  the  Stone  Church  on  the  northeast 
around  the  horizon,  till  the  eye  rests  on  the  grove  and 
valley  in  which  was  once  McGwinne's  Indian  village  on 
the  east,  the  whole  view  is  beautiful.  And  yet  one  more 
may  be  named  ;  the  landscape  that  suddenly  spreads  out 
before  one,  who  is  coming  northward  in  Eagle  Creek,  and 
emerges  from  the  shrubbery  on  an  eminence  overlooking 
the  region  of  Cassville. 

We  have  not,  like  the  lands  of  the  Old  World,  any  an- 
cient historic  records  or  traditions,  linked  with  grove,  or 
stream,  or  prairie  slope,  or  even   with   the   Lake   of  the 


IN'CIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  219- 

Red  Cedars.  The  Red  Men's  remains  are  all  of  human 
hopes  and  fears,  that  are  associated  with  morass,  or  hill- 
top, lake,  woodland,  or  plain,  beyond  the  experiences  of 
this  generation.  Leave  them  out  of  thought,  and  they 
are  almost  out  of  our  knowledge,  and  our  region,  for  its 
long  great  past,  reminds  us  only  of  primeval  nature. 

Amid  such  scenes,  in  whose  vastness  and  wildness  we 
laid  foundations,  the  primative  influence  which  natural 
scenery  is  said  to  exert  upon  the  style  and  the  taste  of 
individuals  may  have  moulded  some  minds  into  a  pecu- 
liar love  for  untrodden  wilds,  and  for  freedom,  and  for 
magnificence.  If  it  be  true,  as  a  certain  critic,  Gilfillan, 
states:  "^Ye  firmly  believe  that  the  scenery  of  one's 
youth  gives  a  permanent  bias  and  coloring  to  the  genius, 
the  taste,  and  the  style ;  that  is,  if  there  be  an  intellect 
to  receive  an  impulse,  or  a  taste  to  catch  a  tone:" — then, 
in  some  respects,  the  impressible  youth  of  this  county 
have  enjoyed  in  the  past,  and  may  still  enjoy  in  the  fu- 
ture, advantages  for  cultivating  a  love  of  native  beauty, 
and  a  love  for  an  enlarged  freedom.  One  reared  amid 
our  prairie  prospects,  accustomed  to  a  broad  range  of 
vision,  should  take  no  narrow  views  of  life's  relations  or 
life's  duties. 

If  the  moors  and  mountain  scenery  of  Scotland  had 
much  to  do  in  forming  the  taste  of  a  Pollok,  the  beauties 
of  this  region  may  yet  form  the  taste  of  some  noble  mind 
in  giving  to  the  world  immortal  verse. 

GRANGES. 

Among  our  social  orders  is  one,  comparatively  new, 
known  as  "  Patrons  of  Husbandry."  The  individual  or- 
ganizations are  called  Granges. 


220  LAKE    COUNTY. 

This  order  was  organized  in  Washington  City,  in  Au- 
gust, 1867.  It  now  comprises  a  National  Grange,  State 
Granges,  and  Subordinate  Granges.  It  is  a  secret  organ- 
ization, designed  for  the  pecuniary,  social,  intellectual, 
and  moral  improvement  of  the  agricultural  community. 
It  seems  to  be  rapidly  gaining  favor  in  this  country.  In 
February,  1872,  the  State  Grange  of  Indiana,  and  seventy- 
nine  Subordinate  Granges  were  organized.  In  this 
county  are  now  three  of  these  organizations: 

Eagle  Grange,  No.  4,  organized  June  28,  1871  ;  num- 
ber of  members,  80.  Lowell  Grange,  No.  6,  October  12, 
1871  :  number  of  members,  80.  Leroy  Grange,  No.  — , 
,  1872;  number  of  members,  26. 

The  organization  in  this  county  owes  its  existence  to 
the  enterprising  spirit  of  Oscar  Dinwiddle,  First  Special 
Deputy,  who  is  still  active  in  carrying  it  on,  aided 
very  much  by  the  earnest  zeal  of  C.  L.  Templeton,  and 
other  energetic  farmers.  O.  Dinwiddle,  and  C.  L.  Tem- 
pleton are  both  officers  in  the  State  Grange,  and  members 
of  its  Executive  Committee. 

I  am  at  liberty  to  say  that  the  Grange  has  a  beautiful 
ritual,  and  that  its  practical  teachings  are  fitted  to  im- 
prove and  ennoble  the  families  of  the  owners  and  culti- 
vators of  the  soil ;  and  the  Grange  influence  in  the  south 
part  of  the  county,  where  some  of  our  wealthiest,  most 
intelligent,  and  most  energetic  farmers  reside,  is  certainly 
a  felt  and  living  power. 

STATE    GRANGE    OFFICERS. 

O.  Dinwiddle,  Overseer;  C.  L.  Templeton,  Treasurer; 
E.  M.  Robertson,  Gate-Keeper. 

There  are  other  ex-officio  State  Grange  officers  in  the 
county. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  221 

There  have  been  Grange  burials  of  the  following  mem- 
bers of  the  order  :  Charles  A.  Kenney,  burial  Novem- 
ber I,  1871  ;  religious  services  conducted  by  Rev.  J. 
Harrison.  Norman  Stone,  burial  September  24,1872; 
religious  services  by  Rev.  T.  H.  Ball.  The  Grange  Bur- 
ial Service  is  touching,  instructive,  and  impressive  ;  but 
Christianity  only  can  give  a  certain  answer  to  that  great 
question,  "  If  a  man  die  shall  he  live  again.'" 

The  Grange  interest  is  on  the  increase  in  the  county. 
It  is  probable  other  Granges  will  soon  be  organized.  It 
is  time  that  the  farmers  were  more  energetic  and  united 
in  promoting  their  interests,  cultivating  their  social  na- 
tures, and  gaining  useful  knowledge.  To  the  Granges  of 
Lake  I  take  the  liberty  of  dedicating  the  following  little 
poem  : 

"THE  INDEPENDENT  FARMER. 
"  Let  sailors  sing  of  the  windy  deep, 
Let  soldiers  praise  their  armor, 
But  in  my  heart  this  toast  I'll  keep 

'  The  Independent  Farmer.' 
When  first  the  rose  in  robe  of  green, 

Unfolds  its  crimson  lining. 
And  round  his  cottage  porch  is  seen 

The  honeysuckle  twining  ; 
When  banks  of  bloom  their  sweetness  yield, 

To  bees  that  gather  honey. 
He  drives  his  team  across  the  field, 
Where  skies  are  soft  and  sunny. 

"  The  blackbird  clucks  behind  the  plow, 
The  quail  pipes  loud  and  clearly, 
Yon  orchard  hides  behind  its  bough 

The  home  he  loves  so  dearly  ; 
The  gray  old  barn,  whose  doors  enfold 


222  LAKE    COUNTY. 

His  ample  store  in  measure, 
More  rich  than  heaps  of  hoarded  gold, 

A  precious,  blessed  treasure  ; 
But  yonder  in  the  porch  there  stands. 

His  wife,  the  lovely  charmer, 
The  sweetest  rose  on  all  his  lands — 

'  The  Independent  Farmer,' 

"  To  him  the  spring  comes  dancingly, 

To  him  the  summer  blushes. 
The  autumn  smiles  with  mellow  ray  ; 

He  sleeps,  old  winter  hushes. 
He  cares  not  how  the  world  may  move 

No  doubts  nor  fears  confound  him  ; 
His  little  flocks  are  linked  in  love, 

And  household  angels  round  him  : 
He  trusts  in  God  and  loves  his  wife, 

Xor  griefs,  nor  ills  may  harm  her  ; 
He's  nature  nobleman  in  life — 

'  The  Independent  Farmer.'  " 

WEATHER    RECORD. 

Winter  mild  until  Febrtiary  ;  then  exceedingly  severe 
weather.     April  4th,  "A  most  terrible  snow  storm." 

1836. 
A  very  wet  suminer, 

1837- 
"A  most  excessive  wet  one." 
1838. 
A  summer  "  of  severe  drouth  and  great  sickness."     So 
scarce  was  water  that  musk  rats,  "  driven  out  of  their  us- 
ual haunts     *     *     *     were  found  wandering   about  in 
search    of"  it;  and  even  went   into    houses    and  about 
wells  to  find  some  water  to  quench  their  thirst.     One  of 


IXCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  223 

these  animals  entering  the  house  of  Solon  Robinson, 
"  never  so  much  as  asked,"  he  says,  "  for  a  drink  of  whis- 
ky," but  went  directly  to  the  water  bucket.  "  During 
the  continuance  of  the  drouth  winter  commenced." 

1839. 
February  20. — Early  in  the  morning  a  shower  of  rain- 
Cleared  off  warm.  2ist — Very  warm  and  cloudy.  22d — 
During  the  night  a  hard  thunder-storm  ;  continued  in 
showers  all  day ;  very  warm  like  April.  23d — Raining 
during  the  night ;  showers  in  the  day  time  ;  very  warm> 
and  foggy  24th — Rain  continued;  warm  and  foggy. 
25th — Cooler,  but  cloudy  and  foggy.  26th — Cloudy,  no 
prospect  of  fair  weather. 

In  March,  some  cold  weather.  .March  12th — A  very 
hard  thunder  storm  last  night.  iSth — Some  thunder 
last  night;  showers  all  day.  19th. — Very  pleasant  all 
day.  20th — Rainy  and  showers.  29th — Rain  all  night : 
showers  all  day.  From  these  extracts  I  conclude  that 
February  and  March  of  1S39  were  warm  and  wet. 

April  3d. — Commenced  gardening.  The  winter  of 
1840  seems  also  to  have  been  quite  mild.  I  make  the- 
following  extracts  :  January  i,  2,  3,  4,  6,  7,  pleasant, 
loth— Cloudy,  foggy,  and  rainy,  nth — Rained;  some 
cold  weather  followed.     29th — Rained. 

February  9th. — Cloudy,  spring  weather;  snow  almost 
gone.  i8th — Rainy  and  cloudy.  19th — Warm  and 
rainy.  20th — Forenoon  rainy.  22d — Cloudy  and  foggy. 
23d — Thawy  and  pleasant.  28th — Warm.  29th — Very 
warm. 

March  25th  and  26th. — Plowing. 


224  LAKE    COUNTY. 

184I. 

January  31. — Very  pleasant  weather  for  some  days; 
seems  spring-like. 

March  22. — The  first  rain  this  year  of  any  amount; 
frost  nearly  out  of  the  ground  ;  the  snow  has  been  gone 
some  time;  the  lake  can  be  crossed  with  a  boat,  until 
within  a  day  or  two  it  could  be  crossed  on  the  ice. 

The  winter  of  1842-43  was  called  the  haj^diui/iicr,  one, 
it  was  said,  that  would  long  be  remembered.  Many  cat- 
tle starved  to  death.  The  winter  commenced  the  middle 
of  November.  November  17th — Wm.  Wells,  "a  very 
steady,  sober,  and  stout,  healthy  man,"  perished  with  cold 
in  a  severe  snow  while  returning  home  from  mill.  His 
residence  was  near  West  Creek,  and  he  had  been  to  the 
mill  at  Wilmington,  ih  Illinois.  He  perished  on  the  Illi- 
nois prairie.  January  6th — A  rain  commenced  ;  a  thaw 
followed.  22d — Snow  entirely  gone;  frost  nearly  out 
of  the  ground.     31st — A  very  severe  snow  storm  all  day. 

February  i8th — The  weather  contiues  severely  cold 
without  intermission;  sleighing  good;  forage  for  cattle 
scarce  and  cattle  in  many  places  dying. 

April  I. — Snow  deeper  than  at  any  time  before  this 
winter;  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches  in  the  woods. 
12th — Alfred  Edgerton  crossed  Cedar  Lake  on  the  ice. 
i6th — The  lake  is  yet  completely  covered  with  ice,  except 
at  the  shore;  no  grass  for  cattle.  19th — Muddy.  27th — 
Comfortably  warm,  but  frequent  heavy  rains. 

May  8. — Vegetation  but  slightly  advanced  ;  cattle 
barely  find  sufficient  food.  And  so  ended,  at  l^st, 
"  the  hard  winter." 

Winter  of  i843-'44,  mild  ;  summer  of  1844  very  wet. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  225 

Winter  of  i844-'45,  unusually  mild.  May  6th  and  yth, 
hard  frosts.  Winter  of  i845-'46,  less  mild  but  "not  at 
all  severe."  Summer  of  1846  very  dry.  Long  continued 
hot  weather;  very  sickly.  Of  those  who  died  this  sum- 
mer a  few  were  :  Cornelius  Cook,  at  Crown  Point,  June 
21,  and  on  the  same  day,  at  theBelshaw  Grove,  Ann  Bel- 
shaw,  of  Lake  Prairie;  September  28,  at  Cedar  Lake,  Mrs. 
Rasgen  ;  and,  also  at  Cedar  Lake,  October  25,  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Horton,  mother  of  Mrs.  J.  A.  H.  Ball,  who  came 
from  the  city  of  New  York,  in  1838,  to  reside  with  the 
Ball  family  at  Cedar  Lake. 

The  summer  of  1838  and  1846  are  the  two  most  noted 
for  sickness  in  the  annals  of  Lake.  Both  were  very  dry 
seasons.  The  fall  of  1846  was  late  and  warm.  Some 
apple  blossoms  opened.  October  13th — A  light  frost. 
20th — A  hard  frost.  November  1 7th — Weather  continues 
mild,  seldom  any  frost.  25th — The  ground  not  yet 
frozen. 

Winter  of  i846-'47,  mild.  Summer  of  1849  wet.  High 
waters  in  July.     The  cholera  prevailed  in  the  west. 

1852. 

February  and  March  were  mild  ;  rain  in  each  month. 
Muddy  in  February.  In  March  it  became  cold.  April 
3d — Snow  fell  about  four  inches.  5th — Snowed  all  day. 
nth — No  grass  or  plowing;  cold  and  backward  spring. 
20th — Grass  not  sufficient  for  cattle  to  do  well. 

May  I. — Cattle   do  not  get  filled  on  grass,  yet  can  live. 

Another  backward  spring.     I3iary  entries.  April  12th — 

It  has  been  very  dry  ;   to-day    heavy   rain ;  grass   grows 

slowly;  cattle  can  barely  live;  out  of  hay.  26th — Grass 
is  not  sufficient,  yet  cattle  live. 


226  LAKE    COUXTY. 

May  I. — Peach  trees  in  blossom  this  morning,  nth — 
This  is  the  fourteenth  day  in  succession  it  has  rained. 
The  sun  has  not  shone  twelve  hours  during  the  time. 

Winter  of  i855-'56  snowy  and  cold.  Winter  of  i856-'57 
severe,  with  deep,  drifting  snows. 

1857. 
Crops  were  unusually  late  in  the  summer  of  1857  ;  corn 

very  small  July  4th.  No  winter  grain,  rye  or  wheat,  cut 
till  in  August ;  the  yield  was  nevertheless  good.  The 
crop  of  spring  wheat  was  considered  the  best  ever  raised 
in  the  county.  S.  Ames,  from  three  acres  sowed  May 
1st,  gathered  ninety-six  bushels.  Some  raised  forty  bush- 
els  on   an   acre.     Corn  was  sold  that   season  for  fifteen 

cents  a  bushel. 

1858. 

A  wet  spring  and  summer.  The  wild  geese  left  the  last 
of  January  and  returned  March  loth.  14th — Frogs  ap- 
peared ;  rain  and  thunder  i6th  and  17th  ;  hard  rain  from 
southwest. 

May  14. — Very  wet  time.  23d  to  30th— Unusual 
showers,  with  thunder.     24th — Very  wet  till  June  4th. 

June  10. — Flood  of  rain.     Cold  afterward. 

July  8th  and  9th. — Mercury  100.°  nth — Good  rain. 
31st  and  August  2d — Hard  showers,  hail  and  wind.  26th 
— Hard  rain. 

September  8. — Very  great  rain.  loth — A  splendid 
comet  appeared;  very  brilliant  for  several  weeks. 

October  6. — Hard  rain. 

November  27th  and  28th. — Heavy  fall  of  snow,  rain, 
and  sleet. 

December  3. — Snow  storm.  4th — Hard  rain  ;  high 
water. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  227 

1859. 

A  cold  and  backward  spring.     April  8th  to  14th,  snow. 

June  5. — Very  white  frost,      nth — Frost. 

July  4. — Light  frost.  Afterward  hot.  [2th — Mercury 
104°  from  10  A.M.  to  4  p.  M.  13th,  104=.  15th,  105° 
at  noon.  i6th,  102=  from  12  m.  to  5  p.  m.  17th,  100°  at 
I  P.M.     i8th,   104°  at  I  p.  M. 

In  September  light  frosts. 

In  October  hard  frost ;  cold,  some  snow. 
i860. 

January  I. — Mercury — 22°.  2d — 24'.  5th — 17-;  6th — 
hard  sleet ;  trees  bent  down. 

April  27. — Hard  frost. 

June  I. — Light  frost. 

August  10,  12,  14. — Light  frosts. 
1861. 

May  2. — Hard  frost.  3d— Heavy  rain  ;  4th — Hard 
frost.     5th — Tornado,  hail  and  rain.     30th — White  frost. 

July   2.— Light  frost. 

October  13. — Frost.     24th — A  freeze. 
1862. 

March  20  and  21. — Snow  fell  for  twenty-four  hours. 

April  2. — Terrible  wind  and  rain.  4th — Severe  hail, 
stones  larger  than  hickory  nuts.  21st — Hard  snow  storm. 
22d. — Ground  white. 

May  20. — Hard  frost. 

June  9. — White  frost. 

July  19. — Terrible  storm. 

December. — Mild  ;  no  sleighing. 
1863. 

January  i. — Rain.     2d — Terrible  rain;  mercury  rang- 


228  LAKE    COUNTY. 

ing  from  6°  to  50==.     Wild  geese  around;  cranes  and  wild 

geese  occasionally  all  winter.     A  cool  summer  followed. 

Frost  every  month  this  year.     August  2d — Mercury  98°. 

3d,   100°.      8th,    99°.     30th — Hard   frost;    killed   vines 

and  corn. 

October  30. — Snow  storm.     31st — Snow  three  or  four 

inches  in  depth. 

1864. 

January  i. — An  intensely  severe  day;  known  as  the 
cold  New  Years.  Wind  and  snow;  mercury — 20°.  2d — 
Mercury — 18°.  3d  and  4th — Mercury  o.  5th — 6°.  6th 
and  7th — 20°.  8th — 16  =  .  9th — 7°.  nth — 5°.  12th,  22°. 
Winter  weather  till  23d,  when  snow  disappeared.  From 
23d  to  29th  mercury  from  30°  to  64°;  April  weather. 
31st — Rain;  frost  out  of  the  ground.  Like  spring  till 
February  i6th. 

March  i  to  10. — Pleasant;  robins,  blue  birds,  larks 
and  frogs  around. 

April  14. — Hot,  cold,  rain,  hail.  Mercury  from  60°  to 
40=. 

July  16. — Mercury  100°.  Frosts  in  September.  In 
November,  Indian  summer.  In  December  mercury  be- 
low zero,  six  different  times  from  four  degrees  to  sixteen 

degrees  below. 

1865. 

February  was  a  mild  and  pleasant  month.  Last  week 
in  March  and  first  week  in  April  very  fine  and  warm. 

June  20. — Terrible  hail,  wind,  and  rain  ;  much  damage 
was  done.     Marks  of  the  hail  storm  remained  for  years. 

July  I  to  9. — Warm.  9th  and  loth — Cold  rain.  15th 
— Cold  rain.     Most  of  the  month  wet  and  cold. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  229' 

August  2. — Terrible  rain,  thunder,  and  lightning. 

October  19  and  20. — First  frost  to  nip  vines.     28th — A 

snow   storm.       Indian    summer    in    November.      A  fine 

month  for  corn  husking. 

1866. 

February  a  cold  month.     Mercury  below  zero  on  sev- 
eral days.     i6th — 22°. 

IMarch  19. — Four  inches  of  snow.     20th — Rain,  hail, 
and  thunder. 

May  22,  23,  24. — Frosts.  ■   26th  and  27th — Hard  rain; 
had  been  dry  before. 

September  i  to  15. — Wet  and  Cold.     22d — Frost  that 
killed  vines  and  injured  corn. 

December  10. — Mercury — 3°,     i6th — Seven  inches  of 
snow.     31st — Mercury — 4°. 

1867. 

January  17. — Mercury — 13°, 

February  10. — 12°. 

]May  I. — Hard   frost.    Last  of  May  and  first  of  June 
very  warm. 

June  7. — Mercury  100°.     June  a  warm  and  dry  month. 

July  23. — Mercury  100', 

August. — A  very  dry  and  warm  month.     9th  to  12th — 
Mercury  100°.     31st. — A  fine  rain. 

September    15. — Mercury    94°.      Again    dry;     some 
showers. 

October. — Some  showers.      The  month   for  the  most 
part  dry  and  pleasant. 

November  3. — Thunder,  hail  and  rain.     A  wild  month. 
24th — Very  warm.      29th — Grew  cold. 

In  December  some   cold  weather.     27th — Mercury  at 
54  .     Still  very  dry.     Thus  closed  a  remarkable  season. 


230  LAKE    COUNTY. 

1868. 

January  was  a  month  of  steady  cold  weather. 

February  a  dry  month. 

March  a  warm,  pleasant  month.  4th  to  12th — Frogs, 
blue  birds,  robins,  and  all  signs  of  spring  abundant. 

First  week  in  April,  cold. 

May  II  to  20. — Very  warm.     Mercury  90"=  to  96°. 

A  very  dry  June,  yet  crops  looked  well. 

July  was  a  very  hot  month,  with  frequent  showers. 
Mercury  at  94,  96,  99,  102,  103,  and  July  15,  105  =  . 

First  week  in  September  pleasant  and  dry ;  afterwards 
rain.  17th — A  hard  frost,  killed  everything.  Frosts  also 
on  the  i8th,  21st  and  23. 

December  10. — Mercury — 18°.   nth — 16^.    December 

closed  with  rain. 

1869. 

January. — The  trees  were  for  some  days  heavily  loaded 
with  ice  ;  many  were  broken.  The  month  mild.  4th — 
Mercury  at  47-.     Wild  geese  in  this  month. 

First  half  of  February  mostly  pleasant.  7th,  8th  and 
9th — Cloudy  and  warm,  nth  to  14th — Frogs,  snakes, 
larks,  etc.,  around  as  in  April.  Afterward  some  cold 
weather.  Birds  returned  the  latter  part  of  jSIarch.  In 
April  trees  again  covered  with  ice. 

April  was  a  cold  and  wet  month. 

May  and  June  wet. 

July  was  a  very  wet  month. 

This  summer  may  well  be  called  the  Wet  Summer.  It 
was  a  very  poor  corn  season. 

The  following  are  two  records   taken   from  The  Cas- 

TALIAN 


INCIDENT    AND    ITEMS.  23 1 

"  JANUARY 1869. 

■"'  The  month  jjust  closing  has  been  remarkable,  in  the 
county  of  Lake,  for  its  even  temperature,  its  amount  of 
sunshine,  its  mild  winds,  its  general,  uniform  pleasant- 
ness. No  snow  of  any  amount  since  the  sheet  of  ice  of 
the  first  week,  and  very  little  mud.  Excellent  wheeling, 
no  rain,  no  storm,  day  after  day,  week  after  week.  South 
wind,  southeast  wind,  west  wind,  north  wind,  east  wind — 
still  pleasant  weather.  It  is  said  that  such  a  January  has 
not  been  experienced  for  some  thirty  years.  For  a  win- 
ter month  it  has  been  truly  delightful." 

"Cedar  Lake,  having  been  covered  with  one  strong 
sheet  of  ice,  then  again  all  open,  can  now,  in  the  latter 
part  of  March,  be  crossed  with  loaded  teams.  Quite  an 
unusual  occurrence." 

The  following  is  another  Castalian  record  :  "  During 
the  year  1867  there  was  in  our  county  one  cloudless  day, 
September  2Sth.  On  the  27th  a  speck  of  cloud  was  vis- 
ible before  sunrise,  on  the  29th  one  was  visible  after  sun- 
set. During  1868  no  cloudless  day  was  observed  by  a 
close  observer.  At  Rochester,  New  York,  some  years 
ago,  eighteen  such  days  were  observed  in  one  year,  and 
thirteen  in  another.  There  are  few  such  days  at  the 
south  end  of  Lake  Michigan  ;  yet  there  are  many  delight- 
ful ones,  the  sky  as  deeply  blue  as  that  over  Mount  Au- 
burn, and  fleecy  clouds  as  beautiful  and  lovely  as  float 

anywhere." 

1870. 

January  came  in  mild.  Was  noted  for  its  rain  storms 
of  the  nth,  14th,  and  i6th;  the  last  attended  with  thun- 
der and  wind.  January  12th — Wild  geese  appeared. 
Mercury  at  45°. 


232  LAKE    COUNTY. 

May  4. — Mercury  at  94''.  May  was  a  very  warm  and 
dry  month. 

In  June,  some  showers. 

July  a  warm  and  dry  month. 

August  also  warm  and  dry. 

Killing  frosts  in  September. 

October  was    a    fine   month.     An    excellent  practical 
■  farmer  makes  this  note.     "  Our  best  corn  year." 

1871. 

In  January  of  this  year  were  those  remarkable  days, 
commencing  with  rain  and  frost,  and  continuing  so 
changeless,  that  gave  us  the  most  magnificent  ice  views, 
so  far  as  records  show,  ever  witnessed  in  this  latitude. 
Commencing  January  14,  the  sheet  of  ice  continued  over 
everything  for  two  weeks.  Immense  damage  was  done 
to  forest  trees.  Fruit  trees  were  broken  very  much,  but 
the  injury  to  them  did  not  prove  to  be  serious.  The 
winter  scenery  during  those  two  weeks  was  indescribably 
grand.  All  the  boughs  of  all  vegetation  were  covered 
with  ice  that  weighed  the  evergreens  and  smaller  trees 
almost  to  the  earth,  and  when  the  sun  shone  the  brilliant 
crystals  everywhere  almost  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  be- 
holder. One  evening,  during  those  two  weeks,  the  rays 
of  the  setting  sun,  with  the  redness  of  a  glowing  summer 
brightness,  shone  upon  the  tree-tops,  and  they  flashed  in 
that  red  light  as  though  hung  all  over  with  myriads  of 
rubies.  Such  a  scene  of  resplendent  beauty  none  here 
ever  saw  before.  The  temperature  day  after  day  was 
mild;  very  little  wind;  considerable  sunshine;  but  the 
whole  world  around  seemed  bound- in  unyielding  fetters 
of  ice.     It  was  like  living  in  a  fairy  land,  or  in  arctic  re- 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  233 

gions  without  the  cold  and  the  darkness.  Existence 
itself,  amid  such  beauty,  was  a  great  delight.  But  rare 
■elements  of  the  magnificent  in  nature  seemed  to  be  com- 
bined, when  at  length  motion  again  commenced  in  the 
outer  world.  Then  at  midday,  in  the  usually  silent  win- 
ter groves,  the  continuous  roar  of  the  ponderous,  falling, 
crystal  masses,  the  breaking  of  loaded  boughs  as  the  wind 
began  to  rise  and  try  their  strength,  the  danger  to  which 
one  was  constantly  exposed,  were  sufficient  to  rouse  into 
excitement  the  dullest  nature. 

Between  Crown  Point  and  Cedar  Lake  the  road  was 
rendered  impassable  for  days  by  an  icy  blockade  ;  all  our 
woods  still  show  the  marks  of  the  giant  power  that  was 
laid  upon  them;  the  like  in  our  history  was  never  known 
before.  The  ice  sheet  extended  from  Southern  Michigan 
in  a  south-westerly  direction  into  Illinois  ;  its  width  being 
some  twenty  or  thirty  miles,  and  Crown  Point  lay  near 
the  centre  of  its  course.  At  Chicago  snow  fell  to  quite 
a  depth  instead  of  the  rain  which  here  froze  at  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth. 

February,  like  January,  was  a  mild  month. 

March  2d,  mercury  at  68°. 

In  June  the  locusts  came  in  immense  swarms,  keeping 
themselves  mostly  upon  the  forest  trees.  They  were  es- 
pecially numerous  in  the  woods  north  of  Lowell ;  south 
and  southwest  of  Crown  Point ;  and  in  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  the  county.  These  locusts  stung  the  timber,  but 
no  serious  results  followed. 

In  October  strong  winds  prevailed.  The  summer  was 
very  dry,  and  unusual  fires  raged  along  the  marsh  and 
in  the  islands  of  timber.     It   seemed  as  though  what  the 


234  LAKE    COUNTY. 

ice  and  the  locusts  had  left  unharmed,  the  fires  were  com- 
missioned to  destroy.  The  October  fires  of  1871,  in  and 
out  of  Lake,  will  long  be  remembered. 

Although  a  very  dry  season,  and  many  wells  failed,  and 
cattle  suffered  severely  from  thirst,  yet  the  corn  crop  was 
good,  the  oat  crop  was  good,  and  grass  was  abundant. 

1872. 

The  winter  commenced  with  no  heavy  fall  rains  and  no 
mud.  In  January  there  came  quite  a  fall  of  snow  and  a 
few  cold  days,  but  on  the  whole  the  winter  was  mild. 
Spring  came,  and  yet  very  little  rain,  no  mud,  no  bad 
roads.  Showers  in  the  summer  :  very  little  rain.  Vege- 
tation grows,  but  cattle  suffer,  wells  dry  up,  and  it  seems 
as  though  the  fountains  in  the  earth  would  fail.  Since 
1869  we  have  almost  forgotten  what  a  rain  storm  is  or  a 
muddy  road.  The  summer  of  1872  has  proved  an  unusu- 
ally abundant  fruit  season.  The  corn  crop  has  been 
abundant,  the  oat  crop  fair,  and  the  grass  crop  good.  A 
late  and  pleasant  autumn  with  but  little  rain  and  no  mud. 
No  bad  roads  since  the  spring  of  1870. 

And  thus  ends  our  weather  record,  extending  through 
thirty-eight  years,  kept  with  more  or  less  fullness  by  Solon 
Robinson,  at  Crown  Point,  the  Ball  family  at  Cedar  Lake, 
and  H.  Wason,  on  Lake  Prairie.  At  Cedar  Lake  ther- 
mometrical  and  barometrical  observations  were  made 
and  recorded  for  a  series  of  years  ;  the  former  made  at 
sunrise,  noon,  and  sunset.  Meteorological  records  ought 
to  be  continued  in  the  county,  as  they  may  prove  of  in- 
terest and  use  amid  the  advances  of  science  in  the  coming 
years. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  235 

CAPTURING    TIMBER    STEALERS    IN    NORTH    TOWNSHIP. 

In  our  earlier  years,  when  Chicago  was  beginning  to 
grow,  and  builders  wanted  pine  timber,  the  report  reached 
the  county  officers  that  a  party  of  their  men  were  steal- 
ing some  valuable  trees  among  the  sand  hills.  The  proper 
papers,  it  is  supposed,  w&re  made  out,  the  civil  officer 
summoned  his  posse,  and  as  considerable  force  might  be 
needed,  the  independent  military  company  of  those  days, 
Joseph  P.  Smith,  Captain,  was  taken  into  this  service. 
The  party  took  dinner  at  Liverpool,  and  in  the  afternoon 
or  next  day,  proceeded  with  great  cautioti^  with  drum  and 
fife  sounding  (and,  probably  colors  flying,  how  could  the 
military  march  without),  to  the  place  where  the  tres- 
pass was  committed.  But  to  their  great  surprise  the  men 
with  the  axes  were  not  to  be  found.  The  idea  of  meet- 
ing a  charge  led  on  with  martial  music,  was  too  much  for 
their  courage,  and  they  had  ingloriously  fled.  George 
Earle  footed  the  bills,  which  amount  the  Commissioners 
afterwards  refunded,  and  the  party  returned  laurelless  to 
Crown  Point.  The  timber,  doubtless,  soon  after  went 
into  the  Illinois  city,  and  no  money  came  to  the  lords  of 
the  soil. 

In  contrast  with  the  above  item,  in  contrast  as  to  man- 
ner and  success,  I  place 

A    NEST    OF    TIMBER    THIEVES    ALONG    THE    KANKAKEE. 

In  later  years,  during  that  wet  summer  of  1869,  the 
Kankakee  River  being  unusually  high  and  affording  great 
facilities  for  rafting  off  the  timber,  a  number  of  men  were 
said  to  be  trespassing  upon  those  wooded  islands  which 
were  miles  away  from  the  abodes  of  civilized  men.  The 
high  water  seemed  to  secure  these  timber  stealers  from  the 


236  LAKE    COUNTY. 

•observation  of  the  owners  of  the  islands.  The  trees 
were  cut  in  water  some  four  feet  in  depth,  and  floated 
down  to  Momence,  out  of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State. 
Hearing  of  these  depredations,  a  party  of  land-owners 
went  out  in  boats  to  ascertain  the  facts  and  bring  the  cul- 
prits to  justice.  A  number  of  rafts  had  gone  into  Illi- 
nois, but  they  found  nine  then  in  the  river,  of  choice 
timber,  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  in  length.  One 
division  had  left  the  edge  of  the  marsh  about  ten  o'clock 
ta  night.  The  moon  went  down  as  they  neared  the  chan- 
nel of  the  river.  The  navigation  up  the  stream  became 
laborious  and  dangerous,  requiring  one  in  the  prow  con- 
stantly to  watch  the  current,  and  one  to  steer,  while  the 
others  rowed.  Thus,  in  the  silent  hours  of  night  they 
were  approaching  the  camp  of  the  unsuspecting  tres- 
passers. Some  of  the  oarsmen  becoming  exhausted, 
they  finally  moored  to  a  willow  in  the  edge  of  the  cur- 
rent and  lay  on  their  oars  and  slept.  Again  pursuing 
their  voyage  they  reached  Red  Oak  Island  after  daylight 
dawned.  Four  men  were  arrested  and  taken  to  Lowell 
for  trial. 

Another  division  of  this  party,  with  three  boats,  made 
in  the  day  about  thirty  miles  of  marsh  and  river  naviga- 
tion. They  met  with  some  interesting  incidents  by  way 
of  variety.  ^One  of  the  boatmen,  "poling"  his  boat 
along,  lost  his  balance,  and  succeeded  in  regaining  it  from 
the  bottom  of  the  marsh  into  which  he  of  course  plunged. 
Others  met  with  similar  mishaps.  When  about  to  leave 
the  river,  one  young  man,  who  had  succeeded  in  keeping 
dry  all  day,  proposing  to  perform  one  more  feat,  pushed 
'Out  in  a  small  trapper  boat  to  try  a  shot  at  some  ducks. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  237 

Drawing  sufficiently  near,  he  stood  up  and  fired.  The 
reaction  of  the  gun,  in  that  frail  bark,  sent  him  back- 
wards into  the  water,  holding  on  still  as  he  disappeared, 
to  the  destructive  weapon.  He  secured  a  duck  and  also 
a  duckifig,  to  the  great  amusement  of  those  who  had  met 
with  like  accidents  during  the  day. 

If  not  so  successful  as  they  hoped  to  be,  the  party  put 
some  stop  to  the  rafting  of  their  timber  down  to  Mo- 
mence. 


The  first  settler  at  West  Creek,  R.  Wilkinson,  first  Pro- 
bate Judge,  had  some  rather  provoking  experiences  with 
the  Indians.  He  was  raising  the  walls  of  his  cabin,  log 
by  log,  with  the  assistance  of  his  son  Noah  and  his  wife, 
when  fifteen  or  twenty  stout  Indians  gathered  round  and 
looked  on.  As,  by  means  of  hand-spikes  and  mechani- 
cal contrivances,  the  three  succeeded  in  getting  the  logs 
in  place,  the  Indians  stood  round  and  laughed.  And 
when  a  greater  effort  than  usual  was  needful  to  raise  some 
heavy  stick,  and  it  seemed  likely  to  slide  back  upon  the 
tugging  toilers,  the  Indians  continued  to  stand  round 
and  laugh ;  until  the  vexed  settler  felt  inclined  to  walk 
in  among  them  with  a  liand-spike.  They  did  not  seem 
to  realize  the  fact  that  a  little  help  just  then  from  their 
stout  arms  would  have  been  very  acceptable.  They  cer- 
tainly had  not  read  the  anecdote  about  Washington,  how 
he  once  took  hold  and  lifted  ;  nor  could  they  have  read 
Sir  Walter  Scott's  Black  Dwarf;  or  they  would  have 
acted  with  more  consideration.  I'he  scene  at  that  cabin- 
raising,  if  amusing  and  not  very  creditable  to  the  Red 
Mens'  thoughtfulness,  is  yet  instructive.  The  three  toil- 
19 


238  LAKE    COUNT% 

ing  whites,  genuine  pioneers  in  civilization,  rearing  for 
themselves  a  cabin  on  choice  hunting  grounds,  surrounded 
by  some  twenty  laughing  savages,  show  the  difference  be- 
tween the  White  and  Red  families  of  man,  or  rather 
between  man  now  native  and  man  instructed  ;  and  the 
moralist  wotild  read  a  deeper  lesson,  the  difference  be- 
tween providing  by  effort  for  present  and  future  wants 
and  thriftless  negligence.  The  log  cabins  have  been  re- 
placed by  some  stately  mansions  ;  but  where  are  now  the 
laughing  Pottawatomies  ? 

This  same  settler  returning  from  the  Wabash  region 
with  a  wagon  load  of  provisions,  drawn  by  oxen,  and  ac- 
companied by  one  of  his  sons,  having  been  absent  many 
days  longer  than  was  anticipated,  reached  the  bank  of 
West  Creek  near  night-fall,  and  found  the  water  so  high 
that  his  team  could  not  ford  the  stream.  Leaving  the 
oxen  to  look  out  for  themselves,  and  his  son  to  sleep  in 
the  wagon,  with  some  corn  meal  in  a  sack  strapped  on 
his  head,  he  swam  the  creek  and  reached  his  home,  dis- 
tant some  half  mile  from  the  bank,  and  supplied  the  most 
pressing  home  want.  The  next  day,  trying  in  vain  to 
borrow  some  good  canoes  from  his  Indian  neighbors,  who 
although  not  troublesome,  do  not  seem  to  have  been  ob- 
liging, he  brought  his  son  over  in  a  little  "dug-out,"  and 
also  an  additional  supply  of  provisions,  and  left  the  wagon 
for  some  two  weeks,  until  the  water  abated. 

LONG    HIGHWAYS. 

There  is  an  old  saying,  "  It  is  a  long  lane  that  never 
turns."  Of  the  various  wagon  roads  crossing  the  county 
in  different  directions,  three  are  on  continuous  straight 
lines  for  many  miles. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  239 

The  north  and  south  road,  from  near  Hickory  Top, 
through  Winfield,  on  a  section  line  one  mile  west  of  the 
Porter  county  line,  is  straight  and  continuous  for  about 
eight  miles. 

The  north  and  south  road  on  the  east  line  of  Sections 
Eight  and  Seventeen,  passing  along-side  of  Crown  Point, 
is  straight  for  more  than  ten  miles. 

The  east  and  west  road,  the  continuation  of  North 
Street,  eastward  towards  Valparaiso,  runs  from  the  west 
side  of  Section  Eight,  on  section  lines,  due  east  to  the 
limit  of  the  county,  and  continues  on  the  same  line  till  it 
reaches  the  Gates'  place,  from  whence  it  bears  northeast 
for  a  few  miles  into  the  city  of  Valparaiso.  Length  in 
this  county,  eight  miles. 

BRICK    DWELLING    HOUSES. 

Of  these  there  are  few  in  the  towns.  Of  farm  houses 
built  of  brick,  there  are  nine.  Jacob  Wise  built  in  1856. 
Thomas  Hay  ward  built  in  i860.  John  Sturdevant 
burnt  a  kiln  of  brick  and  erected  a  house  in  1861  or  1862 
at  a  cost  of  ^3000.  It  is  now  owned  by  W.  T.  Dennis. 
Jabez  Clark  built  a  flat-roof  brick  on  Lake  Prairie  in 
1861.  Jonas  Rhodes  built  about  1866.  Dates  of  the 
others  not  known. 

NORTH    TOWNSHIP, 

This  portion  of  the  territory  of  Lake  is  not  productive 
in  grain,  nor  in  wool,  nor  has  it  any  special  manufactur- 
ing interest ;  but  its  exports  bring  in  a  large  amount  of 
money.  These  exports  are  wild  fruits,  huckleberries, 
cranberries,  and  wintergreen  berries;  also  wild  game.  It 
is  asserted  by  good  authority  that  the  fruit  crop  of  North 
amounts  to  more  in  a  season  than  the  whole  grain  crop 


240  LAKE    COUNTY. 

of  Centre  Township.  Its  natural  features,  as  formerly 
mentioned,  are  the  sand  hills,  and  marshes,  and  the  wind- 
ing Calumet,  and  that  great  blue  lake.  The  proximity 
of  the  northwestern  part  of  it  to  Chicago,  especially  to 
South  Chicago,  is  making  the  land  quite  valuable;  and 
when  Indiana  City  starts  again  into  existence  and  sixteen 
or  twenty  miles  of  the  Calumet  River — a  great  inland  lake 
harbor — are,  like  the  Chicago  River,  dotted  with  the 
white  sails  of  commerce,  and  plowed  by  the  noisy  little 
steam  tugs,  those  waste  miles  of  North,  that  we  used  to 
/consider  so  dreary  and  desolate,  will  be  worth  thousands 
.and  even  millions  of  dollars. 

A  glance  at  the  map  will  suggest  that,  if  the  waters  fail 
not,  the  ducks  and  the  musk-rats,  the  hunters  and  trap- 
pers, must  retire  before  the  advancing  interests  and  forces 
lOf  commerce. 

The  first  white  girl  born  in  Lake  county,  so  far  as  is 
known,  was  Samantha  J.  Fuller,  born  May  5,  1837,  a 
daughter  of  Oliver  Fuller,  who  became  a  resident  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1837. 

The  first  brick  kiln,  near  Crown  Point,  was  burned  in 
1841,  by  Dr.  Farrington  and  C.  M.  Mason.  Before  this 
time  the  chimneys  had  been  built  of  sticks  and  mud. 
Now  brick  chimneys  began  to  appear. 

The  first  regular  4th  of  July  celebration  at  Crown 
Point,  on  record,  was  in  1841,  and  S.  Robinson's  memo- 
randum of  it,  connected  with  a  notice  of  the  Temperance 
Society,  is  as  follows  :  "And  the  celebration  of  the  4th  of 
July  with  cold  water  and  a  pic-nic  dinner  was  the  hap- 
piest one,  to  some  three  hundred  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, that  I  ever  saw." 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  24I 

The  first  mapping  in  the  county  was  done  by  Solon 
Robinson  ;  the  maps  being  colored  by  Mrs.  J.  A.  H.  Ball, 
the  first  resident  painter  in  water-colors.  It  seems 
strange  that  not  a  solitary  one  of  the  hundreds  of  those 
first  maps,  colored  at  Cedar  Lake,  can  now  be  found  in 
the  county. 

The  first  cheese  factory  in  our  limits  was  started,  in 
1867,  by  Wellington  A.  Clark,  on  his  large  West  Creek 
farm.  In  one  season  he  has  made  20,000  pounds  of 
cheese.     He  is  still  carrying  it  on  successfully. 

In  the  fall  of  1869,  John  Brookman,  from  Australia  and 
England,  came  in  with  capital  and  enterprise,  bought  the 
thousand  acre  farm  of  W.  A.  Clark,  north,  of  Crown 
Point,  two  miles  from  town,  and  erected  a  cheese  factory. 
This  was  kept  in  operation  for  two  seasons,  and  this  year 
it  has  been  lying  still. 

The  first  butter  factory  was  erected  by  D.  C.  Scofield, 
of  Elgin,  Illinois,  in  1869  and  1870.  The  factory  has  been 
in  the  charge  of  H.  Boyd  and  family,  and  has  been  doing 
a  good  business. 

This  county  has  large  tracts  of  excellent  grazing  land, 
and  is  well  adapted  for  the  raising  of  stock  and  for  fur- 
nishing dairy  products.  The  amount  of  butter  exported 
from  the  county  annually,  is  one  of  the  large  sources  of 
profit  to  the  farmers.  When  the  Kankakee  low  lands  be- 
come sufficiently  dry  for  general  pasturage,  they  can  be 
dotted  over  with  herds  and  factories. 

SCHOOT.S. 

The  first  school  in  this  county  was  kept  by  Mrs.  Har- 
riet HoLTON,  the  mother  of  W.A.  W.  and  J. 'W.  Holton. 
She  is  still  living,  with  one  of  her  sons,  about   six  miles 


242  LAKE    COUNTY. 

from  Crown  Point,  and  is  now  in  her  ninetieth  year.  Her 
school  was  kept  in  a  private  house,  near  what  is  now  the 
Crown  Point  Depot,  in  the  winter  of  1 835-1 836.  Num- 
ber of  scholars,  three. 

In  the  winter  of  1836-1837,  it  is  probable  that  two  or 
three  other  schools  were  commenced,  but  concerning 
them  I  find  no  records. 

In  1838  one  of  the  largest,  and  one  of  the  best  log 
school  houses  of  the  county  was  built  at  Cedar  Lake  on 
the  land  then  held  as  a  claim  by  Hervey  Ball.  In  this 
house,  which  afterwards  became  private  property,  and 
which  is  still  standing  near  the  stately  mansion  of  Henry 
H.  Dittmers,  were  organized  the  Cedar  Lake  Lyceum, 
the  Belles-Lettres  Society,  and  the  Cedar  Lake  Church ; 
and  here  for  several  years  their  meetings  were  held.  The 
public  use  of  this  house  extends  from  the  spring  of  1838 
to  the  fall  of  1848.  Many  associations  cluster  about  that 
well-built  log  edifice. 

June  ID,  1839,  Mrs.  J.  A.  H.  Ball  opened  a  school  at 
Cedar  Lake,  which  became  the  first  boarding-school  of 
the  county.  Here  were  taught,  besides  elementary 
branches,  elegant  penmanship,  drawing  and  painting, 
botany,  natural  philosophy,  and  "  Polite  Learning" — the 
name  of  a  little  valuable  text-book  which  is  now  rarely 
seen — here,  too,  surveying  and  algebra,  Latin  and  Greek 
were  studied.  A  few  students  of  this  county,  and  from 
Porter  and  La  Porte  counties  attended  this  school.  In 
penmanship,  drawing,  painting  in  water-colors,  and  in 
botany,  the  teacher  has  had  in  this  region  no  equal.  The 
boarders  here  were,  Maria  Bradley,  and  John  Selkirk,  of 
La  Porte  county  ;  Ann  Nickerson,  and  Melissa  Gossett, 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  243 

of  Porter  county  ;  and  Augustus  Wood,  Abby  Wood,  and 
Sophia  Cutler,  of  Lake  county.  There  were  some  self- 
boarders  and  many  day  scholars.  During  some  of  the 
winters  the  school  was  taught  by  Hervey  Ball,  and  day 
scholars  came  from  the  east  side  of  Cedar  Lake,  from 
Prairie  West,  and  from  the  west  side  of  West  Creek. 
Schools  being  commenced  at  other  points,  regular  winter 
schools  were  not  continued  after  about  1849  or  1850 ;  but 
summer  schools  continued  till  about  1855.  The  Cedar 
Lake  school  therefore  continued  some  sixteen  years.  It 
sent  six  students  to  colleges  and  seminaries,  and  fitted 
many  for  the  business  and  the  duties  of  life. 

The  next  boarding  and  academic  school  of  the  county 
was  opened  at  Crown  Point  by  Rev.  Wm.  Townley,  about 
1848.  This  school  was  commenced  in  a  room  of  the 
dwelling-house  which  he  erected,  the  house  on  Court 
street,  where  Andrew  Krimbill  now  resides,  in  which  room 
for  a  short  time  Sabbath  meetings  were  also  held,  and 
then  it  was  transferred  to  the  academy  building,  which 
has  since  become  the  Presbyterian  parsonage.  A  num- 
ber of  students  attended,  boarders  and  day  scholars, — 
some  well  known  names  are  among  the  list  of  students 
here — and  this  school  achieved  in  its  day  a  good  success. 
In  the  winter  of  1853  and  1854  this  school  was  taught  by 
Miss  E.  H.  Ball,  who  had  been  teaching  for  some  few 
years  at  the  South,  and  returned  to  spend  one  more  year 
of  life  in  the  home  of  her  youth.  In  this  school  instru- 
mental music  was  first  taught,  a  piano,  probably  the  sec- 
ond one  in  the  county,  being  obtained  for  the  school  and 
music  teachers  procured.  One  of  these  teachers  was 
Miss    Sarah   Bloomfield,  from    New   Jersey,   a  thorough 


244  LAKE    COUNTY. 

music  teacher,  who  afterwards  married  Ahuon  Foster, 
who  came  in  the  fall  of  1855.  In  1856  this  school  closed. 
Rev.  W.  Townley  soon  after  leaving  for  the  West. 

The  next  select  and  academic  school  at  Crown  Point 
was  carried  on  by  Miss  Mary  E.  Parsons.  She 
was  a  graduate  of  the  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary,  an  earnest 
and  enthusiastic  friend  of  that  system,  following  closely 
in  the  views  and  principles  of  Miss  Mary  Lyon ;  had 
taught  one  year  at  Oxford,  Ohio  ;  some  three  years  at 
Greensburg  ;  and  came  to  Crown  Point  with  the  hope  of 
founding  a  Holyoke  school,  in  1856.  She  did  not  find 
all  the  encouragement  she  desired,  there  were  other  and 
different  interests  then  beginning  to  unfold,  but  she 
opened  an  excellent  school  in  a  room  of  the  Townley 
building,  then  owned  by  Judge  Turner,  and  afterward  in 
the  hall  room  of  J.  H.  Luther.  With  the  exception  of 
one  summer,  during  which  she  visited  Iowa,  this  school 
continued  till  closed  by  her  sickness  and  death.  She 
died  November  14,  i860.  The  school  thus  suddenly  and 
sadly  closed,  accomplished  much  for  the  cause  of  Chris- 
tian education.  By  her  death  Crown  Point  and  Lake 
county  lost  a  most  conscientious,  devoted,  self-denying, 
thorough,  Christian  teacher.  Had  circumstances  favored 
her,  and  had  life  been  continued,  she  might  have  accom- 
plished much  more;  but  she  did  what  she  could.  She 
was  one  of  a  choice  few.  She  spent  her  last  years  among 
us ;  and  her  name  should  not  be  forgotten. 

In  that  same  year  of  1856  Dr.  W.  C.  Farrington,  with 
some  others,  was  arranging  for  the  founding  of  an  acad- 
emy on  East  street,  but  he  died,  and  that  plan  was  not 
carried  out. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  245 

The  next  schools,  therefore,  coming  into  this  record, 
were  those  of  1865,  which  have  been  elsewhere  men- 
tioned. 

The  growth  of  the  public  schools,  from  one  to  eighty- 
four,  has  been  indirectly  noticed. 

Several  of  the  teachers  of  these  have  taught  select 
schools  in  the  public  buildings,  when  the  public  schools 
were  not  in  session. 

A  primary  select  school  in  Crown  Point,  conducted  by 
Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Robinson,  deserves  special  mention.  Mrs. 
Robinson  was  one  of  the  best  teachers  of  children  that 
we  have  ever  had  in  Crown  Point ;  kind,  patient,  loving, 
unselfish,  and  truly  Christian.  Her  neatly  furnished 
room  was  on  Court  street,  north  of  the  Rockwell  House. 
She  closed  her  labors  here  and,  in  July,  1864,  went  to 
Nashville,  and  entered  the  hospital  in  the  service  of  the 
Christian  Commission.  She  was  also  at  ]Memphis,Vicks- 
burg,  New  Orleans,  and  again  at  Memphis.  She  returned 
to  Crown  Point  in  September,  1865,  in  company  with 
Miss  E.  Hodson,  of  our  county,  who  had  been  for  nine 
months  in  the  same  service  in  the  hospitals  at  Memphis. 
These  two,  among  the  noblest  of  the  Christian  women  of 
the  land,  were  our  only  representatives  in  the  Christian 
Commission  service  among  the  hospitals  of  the  Union 
army.  Mrs.  Robinson  disposed  of  her  school  furniture 
to  the  Crown  Point  Institute,  married  Dr.  Wm.  PI.  Harri- 
son, an  army  surgeon,  in  1866,  and  went  with  her  hus- 
band to  Mexico. 

One  other  school  remains  to  be  mentioned.  About 
1866,  A.  Vander  Naillen,  a  P'rench  mathematician,  opened 
a  school  near  Tolleston,  in  which   he  taught   Civil  Engi- 


246  LAKE    COUNTY. 

neering.     In  December,  1869,  he  removed  to  the  City  of 
Chicago,  transferring  to  that  place  his  school  interests. 

FIRST  NORMAL  CLASS  IN  LAKE  COUNTY OPENED 

AUG.    19,    1872. 
NAMES      OF      MEMBERS. 

Ida  Toothill,  Inez  Wilcox,  Emma  G.  Sherman,  Louisa 
Hornor,  Olive  Kenney,  Herbert  S.  Ball,  Myron  B.  Smith. 
Course  of  instruction  included  thirty  lectures  on  import- 
ant subjects,  besides  an  outline  of  United  States  History, 
notes  on  Orthography  and  Geography,  and  some  text- 
book recitations.  Instruction  was  given  in  Physiology 
and  English  Analysis,  and  about  one  thousand  selected 
words  were  written  in  spelling  exercises.  Length  of  ses- 
sion, thirteen  weeks ;  teacher,  T.  H.  Ball. 

WOLVES. 

For  many  years  the  prairie  wolves  were  abundant  and 
annoying.  The  early  settlers  became  very  familiar  with 
some  of  their  habits  and  their  depredations.  Genuine 
inhabitants  of  the  prairies,  as  their  name  denotes,  they 
were  also  found  in  the  neighboring  woods  ;  and  were  often 
seen  by  day  and  quite  regularly  heard  by  night.  Pigs, 
lambs,  and  sheep,  melons  and  green  corn,  suffered  from 
their  voracious  appetites.  Although  not  considered  very 
dangerous  to  human  beings,  the  boy  alone  upon  the 
prairie  after  nightfall,  when  he  heard  the  quick,  sharp, 
bark  which  he  had  learned  to  know  so  well,  would  nat- 
urally quicken  his  homeward  pace.  These  troublesome, 
but  romantic  neighbors,  were  hunted  down  with  dogs  and 
horses,  and  shot,  and  trapped,  as  opportunity  offered. 
But  opportunity  for  trapping  did  not  occur  every  night. 
After  many  trials  one  was   securely  caught  on  the  west 


INCIDENT    AND    ITEMS.  247 

side  of  Cedar  Lake.  The  trap  was  dragged  quite  a  dis- 
tance, but  the  wolf  was  found  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
next  day,  killed  and  scalped,  and  a  bounty  obtained. 
The  dead  body  was  taken  off  by  living  wolves  a  night  or 
two  afterwards,  but  what  they  did  with  it  could  never  be 
ascertained.  No  more  were  trapped  in  that  vicinity.  One 
was  aftewards  shot,  in  the  early  morning,  by  a  Cedar  Lake 
hunter  boy,  who  was  taking  his  morning  ramble,  rifle  in 
hand,  and  he  returned  home  to  report,  quite  elated  with 
his  success.  He  was  accustomed  to  carry  a  trusty  rifle 
and  was  noted  for  his  unerring  aim.  Large  quantities  of 
game  fell  by  his  sure  hand. 

A  more  successful  wolf-trapper  lived  in  the  Myrick 
Settlement,  south  of  Crown  Point,  Smith  Snyder,  who 
says  he  caught  in  a  trap  several  prairie  wolves,  one  of 
them,  having  learned  to  springthe  trap,  being  at  last  cap- 
tured, when  human  thoughtfulness,  more  than  a  match 
for  wolfish  sagacity,  set  the  trap  bottom  upwards.  The 
wolf  turning  the  trap  over,  it  is  supposed,  as  usual,  to 
spring  it,  found  to  his  astonishment  that  it  sprung  the 
wrong  way. 

THE    WILD    CAT. 

No  really  ferocious  animals  have  been  known  in  this 
region,  but  a  true  wild-cat  or  lynx  was  caught  in  1837  or 
1838,  in  an  alder  thicket,  then  almost  impenetrable,  at 
the  head  of  Cedar  Lake.  It  was  a  fierce  and  formidable 
looking  animal ;  the  fur  was  taken  East  by  Job  Worth- 
ington,  then  living  at  H.  Ball's  claim,  on  the  lake;  and 
the  thicket  was  long  know  as  the  Wild  Cat  Swamp.  Its 
recesses  seemed  almost  impervious  to  the  sunlight,  and 
in  mid   summer  it  was  covered  with  beautiful   running 


248  LAKE    COUNTY. 

roses.     It  has  been,  by   its  last  owner,  all  cut  down,  and 
no  trace  is  left  of  the  wild-cat's  ancient  lair. 

THE    WHITE    OWL. 

During  one  of  the  very  cold  and  snowy  winters  of  our 
early  times,  a  large  white  owl,  not  a  native  of  this  region, 
was  shot  on  the  west  side  of  Cedar  Lake.  The  bird 
seemed,  from  its  appearance,  so  thoroughly  protected  was 
it  from  cold,  and  so  white,  to  be  a  mountain  or  an  Arctic 
denizen ;  and  it  was  agreed  to  call  it  a  Rocky  Mountain 
Owl,  brought  out  of  its  usual  range  and  haunts  by  the 
great  westerly  storm.  I  think  no  such  owls  have  been 
seen  in  this  longitude  since  that  severe  winter. 

THE    BALD    EAGLE. 

In  1857  a  bald  eagle  was  shot  on  the  west  side  of  Cedar 
Lake  by  David  Martin,  which  measured  from  tip  to  tip 
of  the  wings,  some  seven  and  a  half  feet.  These  Ameri- 
can birds,  formerly  frequent  visitors  at  that  lake,  have 
been  rarely  shot,  and  are  now  seldom  seen.  This  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  the  last  one  killed  around  that  lake. 

THE    SWAN. 

In  1869,  Herbert  S.  Ball,  a  boy  thirteen  years  of  age, 
coming  up  to  his  home  at  Crown  Point,  through  the 
woods  east  of  Cedar  Lake,  met  a  magnificent  water-fowl 
which  he  captured  and  killed.  The  plumage  was  of 
snowy  whiteness,  very  pure  and  beautiful.  The  wings 
extended  from  tip  to  tip  nearly  eight  feet.  The  head  was 
almost  twice  the  length,  and  some  three  times  the  magni- 
tude of  the  head  of  a  wild  goose.  Its  neck  was  very 
long.  Its  wings  were  broad  and  strong.  The  long  bone 
of  the  wing  was  in  length  nearly  eleven  inches.  When 
examined  at  Crown  Point  this  majestic  bird  was  unhesi- 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  249 

tatingly  pronounced  to  be  an  American  Wild  Swan,  of 
which  a  few  individuals  were  shot  in  Cedar  Lake  by  Al- 
fred Edgerton,  a  number  of  years  ago.  This  is  supposed 
to  have  been  the  last  swan  killed  in  this  county,  only  a 
few  flocks  ever  having  been  seen  by  the  earliest  settlers 
at  Cedar  Lake. 

The  regular  yearly  visitors  and  sojourners  at  this  sheet 
of  water  were  various  species  of  ducks,  gulls,  brants, 
wild  geese,  sand-hill  cranes,  blue  herons,  white  cranes, 
mud  hens,  pelicans,  loons,  and,  around  it,  fish  hawks, 
and  bald  eagles.  It  is  no  figure  of  speech  to  say  that 
some  of  them  darkened  the  waters,  and  that  others  cov- 
ered it  with  snowy  whiteness. 

PERIODICALS. 

The  first  printing  in  the  county  was  done  by  Solon 
Robinson,  who  obtained  a  small  press  and  some  type  and 
issued  a  little  sheet  occasionally.  Some  hand-bills  and 
extras  were  also  printed.  The  name  of  this  occasional 
sheet  is  supposed  to  have  been  The  Ranger  or  Western 
Ranger.     No  eff'ort  was  made  to  establish  this  as  a  paper. 

In  1857,  perhaps  as  early  as  1856,  Rodney  Dunning 
commenced  the  publication  of  a  weekly  sheet  called  The 
Crown  Point  Herald.  After  issuing  it  for  six  months  he 
sold  to  J.  S.  Holton,  who  discontinued  its  publication. 
He,  in  1857,  sold  to  John  Wheeler  and  Z.  F.  Summers, 
who  resumed  the  publication,  changing  the  name  to  Crozofi 
Foint  Register.  In  1862  Wheeler  and  Summers  sold  to 
B.  D.  Harper  and  A.  E.  Beattie.  In  April,  1867,  Harper 
sold  to  Samuel  E.  Ball,  who  Septemder  19,  1869,  sold  his 
interest  to  F.  S.  Bedell;  Bedell  and  Beattie  continued  the 
publication  of  the  Register  until  the  death  of  A.  E.  Beattie, 


250  LAKE    COUNTY. 

in  October,  i860,  when  F.  S.  Bedell  purchased  the  remain- 
ing interest  and  has  si"ncebeen  sole  editor  and  proprietor. 
The  Register  has  a  circulation  of  nearly  800,  and  the 
number  of  subscribers  is  rapidly  increasing.  It  is  Re- 
publican in  politics.  Its  motto  is,  "  With  Malice  toward 
None — With  Charity  for  All." 

While  J.  Wheeler  and  Z.  F.  Summers  were  publishing 
the  Register  in  i860  or  1861,  B.  D.  Harper  commenced 
editing  and  issuing  a  Democratic  paper  called  The  Jef- 
fersonian.  It  was  printed  on  the  south  side  of  the  public 
square,  then  removed  to  the  "Chapman  House,"  on  the 
west  side,  and  soon  after  was  discontinued,  the  editor 
purchasing  a  half  interest  in  the  Register. 

In  November,  1867,  the  Pierian  Society  of  the  Crown 
Point  Institute  commenced  the  publication  of  a  literary 
journal  called  The  Pierian.  In  April,  1868,  the  name 
was  changed  to  Castalian,  and  the  publication  was  con- 
tinued by  the  Institute.  It  became  an  eight-page  monthly, 
size  of  page  sixteen  inches  by  eleven,  printed  at  first  at 
the  Register  office,  and  afterward  at  Chicago.  Its  literary 
character  has  been  elsewhere  mentioned.  It  exchanged 
with  some  of  the  best  college  papers  in  the  land.  Its 
last  issue  was  March,  1870.  At  the  next  Teachers'  Insti- 
tute a  proposal  was  made  to  revive  this  publication,  and 
the  following  circular  was  sent  to  the  teachers  of  the 
county : 

"  TO  THE  TEACHERS  OF  LAKE  COUNTY. 

"  Permit  us  to  call  your  attention  to  the  proposal  made, 
near  the  close  of  our  late  session  as  an  Institute,  in  regard 
to  our  adopting  the  Castalian  as  our  periodical  and  organ 
of  communication  with  each  other.     You  will  remember 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  25 1 

the  vote  was  taken  to  accept  the  proposal  as  there  made. 
After  a  consultation  held  on  Saturday  afternoon,  January 
7th,  we  propose  to  change  the  name  Castalian  to  Tmch- 
er's  Repository,  to  have  a  change  made  in  the  character  of 
the  paper  corresponding  to  its  new  relations ;  to  intro- 
duce Educational,  Literary,  and  Scientific  Departments; 
a  story  for  children  in  each  number,  and  Queries,  and  to 
make  it  the  organ  of  the  teachers  and  schools  of  our 
county,  and  an  efficient  aid  in  cultivating  our  literary 
taste,  and  our  capabilities  as  teachers.  We  also  propose 
to  make  it  of  general  interest  as  a  literary  paper  for  fam- 
ily reading.  We  now  request  you  to  take  an  active  inter- 
est in  the  enterprise,  to  send  your  own  name  and  the 
names  of  as  many  subscribers  as  you  can  obtain,  accom- , 
panied  by  the  subscription  price,  to  Mr.  J.  W.  Youche, 
according  to  the  following  rates: 

SINGLE    COPIES    FOR    ONE    YEAR. 

To  teachers  and  students 50  cents. 

Other  subscribers 75     " 

Teachers  of  Lake,  remember  your  mottoes,  act  with 
diligence,  and  let  us  do  something  worthy  of  ourselves 
and  of  our  enterprising  age. 

J.W.  Youche,  Jas.  T.  Herrick,  A.  J.  Beatie, 

Mary  Martin,  N.  A.  Sturges,  O.  F.  Benjamin 

Jennie  Belshaw,       C.  R.  Jarvis,  F.  McDonald, 

M.  A.  Foster,  Clemmon  Granger,      Anna  Wilcox, 

Helen  Granger,       L.  R.  Thomas,  M.  L.  Clark, 

Jas.  M.  Wise,  Charlotte  Holton,        E.  Lathrop, 

E.  McCaulay,  S.  S.  Erb,  Henry  Sasse,  Jr. 

W.  E.  Abbott,  A.  L.  Thompson,        A.  F.  Coffin." 

A  sufficient  number  of  responses  failing  to  come,  the- 
publication  of  the  Teacher's  Repository  was  given  up. 


252  LAKE    COUNTY. 

At  Hobart  a  little  sheet  was  published  for  a  short  time 
by  Moses  Hull,  in  the  years  1868  and  1869.  Its  circula- 
tion was  confined  to  the  vicinity  of  Hobart,  and  it  was 
probably  not  designed  to  be  a  permanent  publication. 

In  this  year,  1872,  E.  R.  Beebe  started  a  weekly  polit- 
ical and  local  paper,  at  Lowell,  called  The  Loivell  Star. 
It  is  an  eight-page  sheet,  one  side  printed  in  Chicago, 
neat  in  its  appearance,  well  edited,  and  apparently  well 
sustained.  It  is  Republican  as  to  politics,  and  bids  fair 
to  live  and  prosper. 

In  this  same  year,  also,  W.  H.  Ingram  came  to  Crown 
Point  and  started  a  weekly  political  paper,  under  Demo- 
x:ratic  patronage,  called  The  Crown  Point  Herald.  This 
paper  advocated  earnestly  the  election  of  Horace  Gree- 
ley for  President  of  the  United  States  ;  and  soon  after 
the  result  of  the  election  was  known  it  was  sold  to  T. 
Cleveland,  Esq.,  who  is  now  carrying  it  on  as  a  Republi- 
can paper.  The  sire  of  sheet  is  the  same  as  the  Register., 
twenty-four  inches  by  seventeen,  four  pages,  and  its 
motto  is,  "  Independent  in  all  Things — Neutral  in  Noth- 
ing."    T.  Cleveland,  editor  and  proprietor. 

No  records  have  been  kept  concerning  the  annual  mor- 
tality in  the  county.  The  following  persons,  however, 
•were  known  to  have  died  between  the  spring  of  1846 — 
the  sickly  season — and  the  spring  of  1847  :  Isaiah  L.  Bee- 
bee,  David  Currin,  Dr.  Joseph  F.  Greene,  Thomas  Hen- 
derson, Myiel  Pierce,  John  R.  Simmons,  Thomas  Gib- 
son, Jeremiah  Green,  John  Hack,  Jr.,  Cornelius  F.  Cooke, 

Judge   Samuel  F.  Turner, Hollingshead,  S.  C.  Bee- 

.bee,  David  E.  Bryant, Miller,  Royal  Barton,  John 

Smith,  Ambrose  Williams, Livinggood, Simons. 


INCIDENTS    AND.    ITEMS.  253 

MINISTERS    OF    THE    GOSPEL    ORDAINED   IN    LAKE    COUNTY. 

N.  Warriner,  at  Cedar  Laka,  in  1840;  T.  H.  Ball,  at 
Crown  Point,  in  1855  ;  G.  Lewis,  at  Lowell,  in  1865. 

MINISTERS    DYING    IN    LAKE    COUNTY. 

Thomas  L.  Hunt,  died  July  21,  1853.  He  was  pastor 
of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Cedar  Lake,  and  afterwards 
pastor  at  Crown  Point.  He  was  very  self-denying  and 
earnest  in  efforts  to  do  good,  and  overtasked  his  powers 
of  physical  endurance.  He  was  highly  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  him,  and  was  the  first  and  only  pastor  dying 
in  the  county.  He  died  at  the  residence  of  his  brother, 
James  Hunt,  and  was  buried  in  the  Sanders  Burial 
Ground  in  West  Creek  Township.  His  age  was  thirty- 
one  years. 

Philip  Reed,  died  January  3,  1863.  He  was  an  excel- 
lent man,  a  minister  of  the  Moravian  or  United  Brethren 
denomination,  had  a  farm  near  Lowell,  and  often  preached 
at  that  place.  He  went  into  the  Union  army  and  was 
First  Lieutenant,  Company  A,  73d  Regiment  Indiana  Vol- 
unteers. His  dust  also  reposes  in  the  Sanders  Burial 
Ground  in  West  Creek. 

Charles  Barton,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  local 
preacher,  residing  at  Centerville,  died  in  February,  1872, 
in  the  85th  year  of  his  age.  He  had  been  quite  active 
and  vigorous,  walked  to  Crown  Point  and  back,  a  dis- 
tance of  twelve  miles,  the  summer  before  his  death,  was 
a  man  of  strong  constitution,  a  native  of  New  England, 
and  had  lived  in  the  county  some  twenty-five  years.  He 
was  a  man  of  decided  and  strong  views,  an  exemplary 
and  consistent  Christian. 
20 


254  LAK.E    COUNTY. 

OTHER    LOCAL    PREACHERS. 

George  W.  Taylor  came  to  Pleasant  Grove  in  May, 
1845,  having  a  family  of  three  sons  and  nine  daughters, 
and  opened  a  store  in  the  grove  where  a  villiage  was  be- 
ginning to  grow.  He  was  a  Methodist  Episcopal  local 
preacher.  Three  of  the  family  married  in  this  county ; 
one  is  now  residing  at  Crown  Point,  the  wife  of  Hon. 
Martin  Wood.  In  March,  1849,  G.  W.  Taylor  removed 
to  Valparaiso,  and  September  13th,  of  the  same  year, 
died. 

M,  Allman,  a  native  of  England,  came  from  Michigan 
to  Crown  Point,  in  the  summer  of  1843.  He  was  by  trade 
a  tailor,  but  soon  entered  official  life,  holding  the  office 
of  County  Recorder  from  1845  to  1856,  during  two  terms. 
He  was  instrumental  in  organizing  the  Methodist  Sunday 
School ;  with  Rev.  W.  Townley,  S.  Robinson,  H.  Ball,  and 
a  few  others,  formed  at  Crown  Point  an  evangelical  library 
association;  and  preached  frequently.  In  April,  1856, 
he  removed  to  Michigan,  and  died  there  in  December, 
1858,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years. 

D.  Crump.acker,  who  was,  in  1843,  on  the  circuit,  re- 
turned to  the  county  in  1846,  lived  at  South  East  Grove 
a  few  years,  and  then  returned  to  Crown  Point.  He  was 
clerk  in  the  store  of  J.  W.  Dinwiddie,  then  a  member  of 
the  Indiana  Constitutional  Convention  in  the  wfnter  of 
1850  and  185 1,  and  afterward  County  z\uditor.  He  and 
Rev.  M.  Allman  were  for  years  associated  together,  and 
were  influential  men  in  the  county.  He  died  at  Wash- 
ington City,  March  17,  1865,  and  was  buried  in  the 
Crown  Point  Cemetery.  He  had  gone  to  Washington 
with  his  family,  after  the  Civil  War  began,  and  was  hold- 
ing a  clerkship  there  at  the  time  of  his  death. 


IN'CIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  255 

Both  Re\\  Mr.  Allman  and  Rev.  D.  Crumbacker  were 
more  than  ordinary  men.  Much  of  their  active  life  was 
spent  here,  and  they  were  efficient  aid  in  building  up 
good  institutions.  They  were  efficient  preachers,  and 
very  helpful  co-workers  with  the  preacher  in  charge. 
The  former  was  short  and  thick-set,  in  person,  was  an  ac- 
tive member  and  President  of  the  Lake  County  Temper- 
ance Society,  often  acted  as  Chaplain  on  public  days,  at 
the  gatherings  of  the  people,  and  was  noted  for  his  evan- 
gelical prayers.  The  latter  was  tall  and  rather  spare 
in  person,  enthusiastic  in  temperament,  a  popular  speaker, 
and  was  a  general  favorite  for  preaching  funeral  ser- 
mons. Associated  for  a  number  of  years  together  here 
in  public  and  religious  life,  we  may  suppose  them  to  be 
associated  together  now  where  men  rest  from  labors  and 
where  works  follow. 

R.  B.  Young,  was  on  the  circuit  here  in  1853. '  He 
soon  after  settled  in  Crown  Point,  kept  a  drug  store  for 
several  years,  and  became  the  owner  of  a  farm.  He  is  a 
strong  temperance  man,  a  bold  and  fearless  advocate  of 
what  he  believes  to  be  truth,  an  earnest  preacher,  and  a 
man  of  firm  Christian  principle.  Although  past  the  me- 
ridian of  life  he  is  actively  engaged  amid  the  realities  of 
our  daily  life,  and  enters  heartily  into  any  great  moral  or 
religious  movement. 

Smith  Tarr  came  into  Winfield  Township  about  184S. 
He  resided  there  for  several  years,  and  has  now  for  some 
years  been  a  resident  in  West  Creek,  on  the  McLane  or 
Belshaw  place.  He  is  a  man  of  firm  religious  principle. 
and  preaches  occasionally,  as  duty   seems  to  cnll.     He 


256  LAKE    COUNTY. 

has  conducted  the  Sabbath  School  this  summer  at  the 
Burhan's  School  House. 

George  A.  Eadus,  a  Protestant  Methodist  preacher, 
came  into  the  county  about  1859.  He  resided  for  a  time 
at  South  East  Grove,  afterward  he  lived  near  the  McCarty 
mill,  and  now  resides  in  Pleasant  Grove,  on  the  Cleve- 
land place,  having  married  Mrs.  Cleveland. 

R.  Randolph  came  from  Michigan  last  year,  and  now 
resides  at  Centreville.  He  is  comparatively  young,  and 
enters  earnestly  into  the  duties  of  active  life. 

RESIDENCES. 

The  five  most  costly  country  dwelling-houses,  I  would 
name  thus  :  the  Dittmers  mansion,  the  Sturdeyvant  brick 
dwelling,  the  residences  of  George  Willey,  of  J.  A.  Craw- 
ford, and  of  Mrs.  M.  J.  Dinwiddle,  buildings  costing 
from  twenty-five  hundred  to  three  thousand  dollars  each. 

At  first  we  built,  without  any  iron,  or  brick,  or  lime, 
the  small  log  cabins  with  "  shake  "  roofs,  mud  and  stick 
chimneys,  and  puncheon  floors.  Sometimes  a  few  nails 
would  find  their  way  into  a  window  frame  or  into  a  door, 
but  none  on  the  roof,  and  none  in  the  floor.  Less  than 
forty  years  have  passed,  and  neat  $3000  houses  can  be 
found  on  the  prairies.  The  $30,000  residences  may  be 
found  in  forty  years  more.  The  best  building  materials 
of  the  United  States  may  now  be  quite  readily  obtained. 

THE    KANKAKEE    DETECTIVES. 

A  number  of  years  ago  it  became  necessary  for  the  in- 
habitants along  the  marsh  to  secure  themselves  against 
depredators  whom  the  locality  seemed  to  invite.  One 
hundred  men  were  organized  in  a  band  under  the  above 
name.     These  met  with  a  number  of  adventures,  brought 


INCIDENTS    AND     ITEMS.  257 

several  men  to  justice,  and  established  law  and  order  in 
the  community. 


Andrew  Moore,  who  came  in  September,  1838,  had 
quite  a  new  couatry  experience  in  going  to  mill.  He 
went  in  November  to  Vale's  mill,  near  Michigan  City. 
The  roads  were  very  bad.  His  load  was  fourteen  and  a 
half  bushels  of  wheat  and  one  of  corn.  He  was  gone 
ten  days.  Spent  fourteen  dollars.  Returned  home,  and, 
in  a  few  days,  the  flour  was  all  loaned  to  neighbors. 

WELLS    AND    SPRINGS. 

Nearly  all  of  the  early  settlers  used  "surface  water." 
That  "spring"  besides  which  Solon  Robinson  first 
pitched  his  tent  was  not  living  water,  and  the  first  set- 
tlers did  not  suppose  there  were,  in  this  prairie  region, 
any  real  springs.  Probably  the  first  well  of  which  any- 
thing can  now  be  known,  was  dug  by  Warner  Holton,  in 
1835.  He  lived  on  what  is  now  "  Railroad  Addition," 
near  the  present  depot.  He  dug  four  feet.  Water 
came  in  which  supplied  other  families.  When  the  water 
failed  he  dug  deeper,  and  finally  reached  a  depth  of  about 
twelve  feet. 

Probably  the  same  season.  Judge  Clark,  who  lived  on 
Section  Eight,  near  Dr.  Pratt's  place,  dug  some  sixty  feet 
and  failed  to  obtain  water.  A  well  of  some  depth  Avas 
not  long  afterward  dug  on  the  Pelton  place,  now  Dr.  Pet- 
tibone's,  and  water  obtained. 

At  Cedar  Lake,  on  the  Russell  claim,  a  well  was  dug 
to  (luite  a  depth,  and  mineral  water  reached.  It  was  used 
by  different  families,  but  was  not  pleasant  to  the  taste. 
Other  families  therefore  dug  shallow  wells,  ten  or  t'.velve 


258  LAKE    COUNTY. 

feet  in  depth,  in  the  low  places.  In  the  dry  seasons  the 
hooks  or  poles  with  which  the  water  was  drawn  would 
sometimes  be  hidden,  and  some  were  actually  compelled 
to  steal  water  in  order  to  (quench  thirst.  But  as  the  sur- 
face wells  failed  and  brick  began  to  be  made,  permanent 
wells  were  dug.  The  depth  of  these  wells  varies  from 
some  fifteen  to  seventy  feet. 

At  Shererville  the  wells  are  driven.  The  sand  comes 
to  the  surface.  The  wells  are  shallow  but  the  water  is 
good.  At  Ross  and  Tolleston,  and  other  villages  on  the 
sand  ridges,  the  wells  are  also  shallow. 

The  dry  weather  of  the  last  two  years  has  caused 
many  new  wells  to  be  dug.  Some  of  these  and  a  few 
others,  possess  some  peculiarities. 

Thomas  C.  Goodrich,  in  the  fall  of  187 1  dug,  on  the 
side  hill  of  that  broad  ridge  south  of  Turkey  Creek,  and 
near  the  base  of  the  hill,  twenty-seven  feet,  and  then 
bored  eighteen  feet  and  reached  water.  The  brick  were 
then  laid  up  about  three  feet,  the  bored  orifice  having 
been  closed,  and  the  workmen  rested  for  the  night.  The 
next  morning  the  well  was  filled  with  water  to  within  ten 
feet  of  the  surface,  the  supply  seemed  inexhaustible,  and 
the  walling  up  was  abandoned.  A  second  was  dug, 
about  ten  feet  up  the  hill,  rise  of  ground  about  one  foot, 
to  the  depth  of  twenty-seven  feet.  On  boring  twenty 
inches  water  was  reached,  the  brick  were  laid,  and  the 
water  came  up  to  about  eleven  feet  from  the  surface.  The 
water  is  excellent  in  quality  and  abundant  in  quantity. 

A  well  on  the  Dittmers'  place  is  impregnated  with 
some  mineral  resembling  Epsom  salts.  It  is  a  very  agree- 
able, healthful  water. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  259 

The  well  at  the  cheese  factory,  north  of  Crown  Point, 
■was  dug  sixty-five  feet,  then  bored  twenty-seven  feet. 
The  water  came  up  to  within  some  fifty  feet  of  the  sur- 
face. 

J.  H.  Ball  has  lately  dug  two  wells  on  his  lots  in  Rail- 
road Addition.  The  first  is  twenty-four  feet  in  depth,  in 
which  the  water  rose  eleven  and  a  half  feet  and  there  re- 
mains. The  second  is  fourteen  and  a  half  feet,  furnish- 
ing a  supply,  but  no  rise  of  water.  These  are  about  two 
hundred  feet  apart.  Water  is  reached  at  different  depths, 
but  will  generally  rise  several  feet  on  Railroad  Addition. 

The  first  springs  discovered  by  the  settlers  were  prob- 
ably on  the  west  bank  of  Cedar  Lake.  One  was  on  the 
Brown  claim,  and  furnished  sufficient  water  for  one  fam- 
ily for  several  years.  The  water  was  clear,  pure,  cold, 
and  good. 

A  second  was  known  as  the  Gray  spring.  It  furnished 
a  large  amount  of  water,  which  was  sometimes  carried 
more  than  a  mile  in  barrels,  conveyed  across  the  lake 
in  boats,  and  supplied  several  families.  This  water  was 
cold  and  good,  but  strongly  impregnated  with  iron. 

Springs  were  afterward  discovered  in  various  localities. 
Along  West  Creek,  along  Deep  River,  and  even  on  the 
prairie.  Some  of  these  are  quite  large,  but  they  send 
forth  no  bold  streams.  This  is  not  a  region  of  running 
waters  and  gushing  fountains;  the  streams  are  often  slug- 
gish, yet  are  there  among  the  grassy  meads  some  sunny 
brooks,  and  quiet  rivulets. 

SOUTH    EAST    GROVE. 

This  grove  is  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  in  the 
■county  outside  of  the  Kankakee  Marsh.     In   form   it  is 


26o  LAKE    COUNTY. 

circular,  covering  about  one  section  of  land.  The  cor- 
ner of  sections  One  and  Two,  Eleven  and  Twelve,  Town- 
ship ^^,  Range  8,  is  not  far  from  the  school  house,  in  the 
southern  half  of  the  grove.  The  timber  is  mostly  hick- 
ory and  oak,  much  of  it  at  present  young  and  thrifty. 
Some  of  the  earliest  settlers  here  have  been  already  men- 
tioned.    There  were  two  Flint  families,  the  families  of  O. 

V.  Servis,  Gibson,  Parkinson,  Orrin  Smith, Morris, 

and  some  few  others.  In  the  spring  of  1840,  Alexander 
F.  Brown  came  to  the  grove,  from  the  State  of  New  York. 
He  brought  with  him  three  hired  men.  He  secured  a 
choice  location  and  commenced  extensive  improvements. 
While  carrying  on  his  plans,  and  having  the  ambition  and 
resolution  which  would  have  been  likely  to  have  secured 
a  large  success,  his  prosperous  course  was  suddenly  ter- 
minated by  an  accidental  death.  At  work  one  day,  his 
horses  took  fright,  he  was  thrown  from  his  wagon,  and 
died  in  about  a  week,  October  21,  1849.  His  sons,  John 
Brown,  and  W.  Barringer  Brown,  at  their  father's  death, 
boys  of  nine  and  six  years  of  age,  are  now  among  the 
most  intelligent  and  enterprising  business  young  men  of 
the  county.  The  former  is  now  county  treasurer,  the 
other  remains  at  the  grove,  on  the  farm. 

Other  energetic  business  men  settled  at  and  around 
South  East  Grove.  Wm.  Brown,  late  a  County  Commis- 
sioner and  now  Township  Trustee,  came  in  1843.  John 
A.  Crawford  in  1844.  H.  Kingsbury  came  about  1847. 
James  Doak  came  in  the  spring  of  1852.  George  Doak 
came  April  21,  1855.  -^^  taught  at  Plum  Grove,  West 
Creek,  Orchard  Grove,  and  again  at  Plum  Grove.  He 
married  a  daughter  of  H.  Kingsbury,  and  now  resides  on 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  26 1 

the  Kingsbury  place,  one  of  the  best  winter  wheat  farms 
in  this  region. 

Several  other  families  reside  in  the  neighborhood  who 
have  bought  farms  in  later  years,  and  the  congregation 
meeting  at  the  Grove  School  House  for  Sabbath  worship 
is  noted  for  intelligence,  good  order,  and  generous  hos- 
pitality. 

ORCHARD    GROVE 

Is  smaller  than  the  one  named  above ;  is  pleasantly  situa- 
ted near  the  edge  of  the  marsh;  and  gives  a  name  to  the 
post  office,  store,  and  school  house,  of  an  intelligent, 
prosperous,  farming  community.  The  two  Kenney,  the 
Woodruff,  the  Handley,  and  Warner  families,  have  long 
resided  here ;  and  a  number  of  other  families  in  easy 
circumstances  are  living  on  the  choice  farms  of  this 
locality. 

PLUM    GROVE 

Is  east  and  a  little  north  from  Orchard,  distant  about  two 
miles.  It  is  small,  is  near  the  marsh,  and  now  contains 
more  crab  apple  than  wild  plum  trees.  The  families  of 
the  neighborhood  are  the  following:  Mrs.  M,  Pearce,  J. 
Pearce,  O.  V.  Servis,  Sen.,  W.  Buchanan;  Mrs.  M.  J. 
Dinwiddie,  J.  Dinwiddie,  F.  Westman,  H.  Deters;  J. 
Hamilton,  M.  Nichols,  J.  Hildarbiddle,  Mrs.  Hale;  W. 
V.  Fuller,  J.  Filsinger,  J.  Alyea,  Earl  Brownell,  Charles 
Brownell ;  A.  Mitch,  C.  A.  Hale,  C.  Emmerling,  M.  Jor- 
dan, S.  Hogan,  and  A.  J.  McCann. 

LOST    ON    THE    PRAIRIE. 

Two  have  been  mentioned  who  perished  on  the  prairie 
from  exposure  to  the  cold.  Many  others  were  lost,  but 
their  wanderings  and  hair-breadth  escapes  are  for  the 
most  part  also  lost. 


262  LAKE    COUNTY. 

T.  Fisher  was  returning  in  the  spring  of  the  year  from 
Door  Prairie,  with  a  load  of  broom  corn,  and  was  over- 
taken by  the  darkness  of  a  cloudy  night  on  the  prairie 
between  Hickory  Point  and  South  East  Grove.  Some 
dangerous  sloughs  lay  in  that  region.  Missing  the  course 
in  the  gathering  darkness,  the  horses  soon  came  to  a  halt. 
To  urge  them  forward  into  the  slough  that  lay  before 
them  was  risky,  and  he  turned  back  and  endeavored  by 
careful  examination  to  find  some  safe  passage  across  the 
barrier.  Leaving  his  wagon,  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  his 
bearings,  he  barely  succeeded  in  finding  his  way  back  in 
the  darkness.  Again  driving  onward,  the  horses  once 
more  stopped.  Giving  up  at  length  the  hope  of  reaching 
home  that  night,  he  unharnessed  the  horses,  tied  them  to 
the  wagon,  and  spreading  a  buffalo  skin  on  the  ground, 
waited  for  the  morning  light. 

In  the  thick  darkness  of  the  spring  and  summer  it  is 
not  pleasant  to  be  lost  all  night ;  but  amid  the  piercing 
wind  and  freezing  cold  of  a  winter  night,  to  wander,  as 
some  have  done,  on  the  trackless  prairie,  is  terrible. 

In  the  winter  of  1838  or  1839,  H.  Ball  was  returning 
from  Michigan  City  to  Cedar  Lake,  the  night-fall  found 
him  on  the  open  area  of  Twenty  Mile  Prairie.  The  snow 
clouds  obscured  the  sky,  the  wind  blew,  the  horses  missed 
the  track,  and  he  was  lost.  No  houses  were  near.  It 
was  to  him  a  night  of  suffering  and  danger.  Two  or 
three  circumstances  combined  to  save  his  life.  A  star 
shone  out  for  a  moment  and  kept  him  from  taking  a  di- 
rection that  led  yet  further  away  from  human  abodes. 
Finding  it  useless  to  continue  wandering  around  on  the 
bleak  prairie,  having  with  him  fortunately  a  bolt  of  sati- 


INCIDENTS    AND     ITEMS.  263 

net,  and  having  a  pair  of  large  and  powerful  horses,  one 
of  which  was  remarkably  sagacious,  he  wound  the  cloth 
around  him  and  stood  between  the  heads  of  the  horses 
to  seek  some  shelter  from  the  wind  and  to  share  some 
warmth  from  their  breath.  To  grow  weary  and  seek  rest, 
or  to  lie  down  in  the  sleigh  there  and  become  benumbed, 
was  to  perish.  And  so  he  remained  between  the  heads 
of  those  noble  horses  amid  the  bitter  cold,  until  a  shrill 
sound,  the  distant  crowing  of  a  rooster  before  the  morn- 
ing dawned,  indicated  the  direction  of  a  human  dwel- 
ling. Proceeding  toward  that  cheering  sound  he  reached 
a  house,  and  found  shelter,  and  warmth,  and  rest.  It 
was  a  night  which  he  never  forgot,  the  winter  night  spent 
on  Twenty  Mile  Prairie. 

NATIVE    WILD    ANIMALS. 

Most  of  our  wild  animals  have  been  incidentally  named. 
Of  the  fur-bearing  tribes  there  originally  were  musk-rats, 
mink,  otter,  and  beaver.  The  latter  disappeared  before 
the  white  men  came.  Of  other  quadrupeds  there  were 
deer,  and  wolves,  and  wild-cats,  fox  squirrels,  and  rabbits. 
On  one  island  in  the  matsh,  black  squirrels  are  found. 
Chipmunks,  gophers,  and  ground  squirrels  abounded. 
There  was  found  in  Cedar  Lake  a  pair  of  large  horns, 
supposed  to  be  elk,  indicating  that  they  were  once  in  this 
region. 

The  wolves  were  very  abundant  here,  as  were  most  of 
the  other  animals,  when  the  settlers  came.  Two  boys 
out  from  home  one  day  saw  as  many  as  a  dozen,  and  two 
followed  them  within  half  a  mile  of  their  home.  On 
winter  mornings  the  new  fallen  snow  would  be  marked 
with  a  multitude  of  their  trncks.     Men  would  chase  them 


264  LAKE    COUNTY. 

sometimes  with  horses,  and,  among  the  grubs,  the  wolf 
has  been  known  to  look  saucily  up  at  the  rider,  as  much 
as  to  say,  "  Catch  me  if  you  can."  A  physician,  on  his 
rides,  has  sometimes  given  them  chase;  and  even  a 
well-mounted  pioneer  minister,  on  the  way  from  one  ap- 
pointment to  another,  has  been  tempted  to  follow  the 
unscared  wolf,  and  only  missed  capturing  him  by  his 
wolfship  at  length  taking  refuge  in  a  marsh  where  the 
swift  horse  could  not  follow. 

A  few  large  gray  wolves  have  occasionally  visited  our 
prairies,  even  as  lately  as  this  present  year  ;  but  they  are 
not  considered  to  be  native. 

Of  feathered  animals,  the  grouse,  or  prairie  chickens, 
were  those  that  gave  character  to  the  prairies  ;  the  water- 
fowls have  been  named  in  connection  with  Cedar  Lake ; 
the  usual  varieties  of  little  birds  were  in  the  groves ;  and 
the  crow,  the  hawk,  and  the  eagle,  were  native  inhabi- 
tants. 

Of  wild  life,  without  ferocious  animals,  there  was  no 
lack.  The  waters  swarmed  with  fish ;  and  the  groves,, 
and  the  prairies,  and  the  marshes  were  alive  with  their 
appropriate  inhabitants.  The  larger  marshes,  and  even 
small  ones,  in  the  midst  of  the  dryest  prairie,  contained 
some  fish,  and  multitudes  of  small  shell-bearing  animals, 
called  snails  or  periwinkles.  The  prairie  crawfish 
abounded.  The  rattlesnakes  and  other  venomous  and 
harmless  serpents  were  on  almost  every  rood  of  land ; 
and  ox  flies  and  horse  flies  seemed  to  drive  the  domestic 
cattle  nearly  to  distraction. 

But  these  smaller  animals,  and  the  venomous  serpents, 
and  many  of  the  other  denizens  of  the  region,  have  al- 


INXIDENTS    AND     ITEMS.  265 

ready  disappeared ;  and  few  comparatively  remain  amid 
our  present  civilization.  It  is  ever  so,  that  the  children 
of  nature  retire  before  the  cultivated  races.  A  few  more 
years  and  we  may  scarcely  have  anything  that  comes  un- 
der the  name  of  game. 


I  close  the  items  in  this  chapter  with  some  specimens 
of  our  Fine  Arts.  From  the  amateur  painters,  musicians, 
and  gardeners,  nothing  can  be  obtained  capable  of  being 
set  up  in  type ;  but  the  amateur  poets  furnish  me  with 
some  specimens  of  their  art  which  I  transfer  to  these 
pages.  It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  in  a  region  where 
forty  years  ago  the  Indian  hunters  were  sole  occupants, 
and  where  the  squatter  and  the  settler  have  toiled  early 
and  late  to  secure  the  comforts  of  life,  there  should  be — 
without  any  city  growth — the  wealth,  or  leisure,  or  talent 
even,  to  accomplish  anything  in  this  line  which  would 
attract  the  attention  of  a  connoisseur.  Nevertheless  I 
place  on  these  pages  for  preservation  a  few  specimens 
from  true  children  of  Lake. 

"  TO  THE  WHir-POOR-WILL. 

"  Slrange  bird  of  the  evening,  we  love  thy  pure  tone, 

That  comes  over  valley  and  hill, 
When  the  wind  from  the  southland  utters  its  moan, 
And  Winter's  chill  wings  from  the  wild  wood  have  flown  ; 
Thy  voice  in  the  dark  hours  then,  plaintive  and  lone, 

Sings  ever  its  clear  whip-poor-will, 

*'  Shy  bird,  dost  thou  know  how  we  list  to  thy  note. 
When  sounds  of  the  day  are  all  still? 
The  deep  chords  of  feeling  are  touched  when  there  floats 
On  the  still  evening  air  from  \^  cxidland  remote, 


266  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Thy  voice,  sad  and  mournful,  yet  strong,  that  denotes 
Thy  true  faith,  thou  lone  whip-poor-will. 

"  But  why  dost  thou  sing,  all  through  night's  lonely  hours  ? 
Hast  thou  too,  a  mission  to  fill? 
Does  earth's  gloom,  through  sympathy,  call  forth  thy  powers. 
And  when  from  ow-  liearts  are  gone  sunshine  and  flowers, 
While  night-dews  are  chill,  and  star-beams  gem  thy  bowers, 
Canst  cheer  with  thy  shrill  whip-poor-will? 

"  Ah  !  brave  heart  and  true,  that  can  hopefully  beat. 

Though  sorrows  earth's  chalice  doth  fill, 

And  find  'mid  the  dark  hours  of  life  a  retreat. 

And  sing,  "songs in  the  night,"  with  deep  joy  replete. 

And  with  sunshine  of  soul  the  morning,  can  greet. 

Like  the  night-bird,  the  loved  whip-poor-will. 

A.  A.  A." 


"THE  SEASIDE  RECLUSE. 

[Lines  suggested  by  an  Engraving  in  Mrs. 's  drawing-room,  and  to  her  respect- 
fully dedicated.] 

BY   J.    H.    B. 

"  Lovely  vision  !  maidens  fair  ! 
Unbound  tresses  !  flowing  hair  ! 
By  the  rocks,  and  by  the  sea  ; 
Emblems  sweet  of  purity  ! 
Painter's  hands  portray  you  well  ! 
Is  it  here  you  ever  dwell  ? 
Or  come  you  to  hear  the  beat 
Of  ocean  throbbing  'neath  your  feet  ? 

•'  Mountain  nymphs  or  water  naiads, 
Tell  me  how  long  here  you've  staid, 
If  indeed  of  human  mould 
What  sad  sorrows  all  untold 
May  have  crossed  your  pathway  bright  ? 


INCIDENTS    AND     IlEMS.  267 

For  if  now  I  judge  aright, 

Anxious  cares  once  filled  your  breast, 

Though  now  so  calm,  serene,  at  rest. 

"  Imagination  tunes  her  ear ; 
I  listen  now  and  seem  to  hear. 
Voices  blending,  sad  and  sweet, 
As  echoes  in  the  woodlands  meet, 
Plaintive,  mournful,  soft  and  low. 
Like  purling  streams  that  gently  flow  ; 
Noting  words  while  still  I  may, 
Much  like  this  they  seem  to  say  : 

"  '  I  have  found  your  retreat,  by  the  surf-beaten  shore, 

Ah  I  these  cold  granite  stones  look  too  sombre  and  grim, 
Here  the  sea  breeze  is  damp,  much  too  damp  for  you  more, 

Hasten  home  with  me  then,  ere  is  sung  our  night  hymn. 
'Melia,  gaze  not  so  sad  on  the  ocean's  dark  crest, 

There  is  much  yet  in  life,  although  mixed  with  alloy. 
Then  dismiss  your  dark  thoughts,  bid  your  moaning  heart  rest. 

There  are  pleasures  still  left,  if  you  would  but  enjoy.' 

"  Oh  I  Theresa,  dear  friend,  I'm  resigned  to  my  fate, 

All  repinings  long  since,  have  departed  my  breast, 
Yet  I  love  to  sit  here,  by  these  gray  rocks,  and  wait. 

While  one  faint  ray  of  light  lingers  still  in  the  west. 
Yes,  'tis  here,  while  in  listening  to  the  waters'  low  moan, 

My  brow  fanned  by  the  sea  breeze  that  nightly  sets  in. 
That  I  care  not  for  life,  all  I'd  live  for  seems  flown. 

All  earth's  joys  set  for  me  when  I  parted  with  him.' 

'■  '  Now  I  think  of  the  Past,  and  my  niem'ry  goes  back 

To  the  time  when  we  wandered  here,  free  from  all  care, 

Treading  lightly  our  path,  by  yon  rivulet's  track. 
In  the  eventide  cool,  or  by  morn  fresh  and  fair. 

All  unconscious  of  sorrow,  of  suft"'ring,  of  pain, 

Fearing  naught,  dreading  naught,  knowing  naught  of  life's  ills. 


268  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Fondly  dreaming  these  pleasure  would  ever  remain, 
Drank  the  full  cup  of  bliss,  and  yet  sighed  for  it  still.' 

"  '  Now  the  Present  looks  dark,  very  dark  to  my  eyes, 

And  each  purpose  in  life  seems  vague,  dim  and  uncertain, 
On  the  grandeur  of  ocean,  on  the  blue-vaulted  skies, 

I  find  solace  in  musing,  while  night  spreads  her  curtain, 
I  people  the  mists,  with  gentle  forms,  and  sweet  voices. 

Now  the  sad,  and  the  gay,  I  commingle  together. 
And  oh  !  with  what  a  thrill  my  heart  often  rejoices. 

That  there's  one  at  my  bidding,  that  comes  to  me  ever.' 

"  '  Wrap  this  mantle  around  you  and  sit  down  awhile, 

For  the  dark  clouds  are  breaking,  the  sunset  is  bright, 
And  perchance  from  old  sorrows  my  mind  'twill  beguile. 

Should  I  tell  you  a  vision  I  saw  but  last  night. 
It  was  later  than  this,  I  had  gazed  long,  so  long. 

On  the  waters'  weird  face,  after  twilight's  last  ray. 
The  darkness  had  deepened,  and  the  night-breeze  blew  strong. 

And  beneath  moaned  the  surge,  as  it  dashed  its  wild  spray.' 

"  '  A  lone  ship  seemed  to  move,  phantom-like  on  the  wave, 

I  could  plainly  distinguish  the  sails  and  the  shrouds. 
As  a  transient  light  seemed  the  sea's  surface  to  lave. 

Like  the  moon  breaking  forth  out  of  dark-rifted  clouds. 
A  group  on  the  deck  were  peering  out  on  the  gloom, 

With  anxiety  descrying  the  face  of  the  land. 
Now  awaiting  in  silence  and  with  fear  the  sad  doom. 

Should  their  vessel  on  some  of  these  unknown  rocks  strand. 

"  '  At  the  helm  there  stood  one  with  lips  firmly  compressed. 

Self-reliant  and  calmly  he  guided  their  way, 
And  each  movement  he  made  close  observed  by  the  rest, 

As  all  waited  his  nod  or  command  to  obey. 
All  so  perfect,  so  real,  it  then  to  me  seemed. 

The  proud  bearing,  the  mien,  was  Brusabo's  alone, 
Could  there  be  but  truth  in  it,  and  though  I  have  dreamed. 

Might  I  ihink  he  still  lived,  that  he  yet  would  come  home 


.INCIDENTS    AND     ITEMS.  269 

'  Six  long  years  have  now  passed  since  that  wild,  gloomy  day, 

Years  of  longing,  and  hoping,  and  watching,  and  prayer, 
When  they  called  him  a  convict,  and  bore  him  away. 

And  my  heart  seemed  to  sink  in  the  wildest  despair. 
One  thought  then  sustained  me,  is  upholding  me  still — 

When  in  agony's  calmness  he  bade  me  farewell. 
'  Oh  !  believe  me,'  he  said,  '  and  I  trust  that  you  will. 

All  this  dark  tale  is  false  that  against  me  they  tell." 

'  Oh  !  I  knew  'twas  so  false  to  charge  him  with  a  crime, 

It  was  jealousy,  malice  !  'twas  envy  or  hate. 
He  could  do  nothing  wrong  with  a  spirit  so  fine  ! 

Ah  !  they  drove  him  to  madness,  then  laughed  at  his  fate  ! 
His  proud  spirit  soon  sunk  'neath  the  blow  and  the  chain, 

As  in  bondage  awhile  with  the  chained-gang  he  trod, 
Then  he  sickened  and  died,  and  was  laid  in  the  main. 

As  the  ship  passed  in  sight  of  our  own  native  sod.' 

'  When  I  think  what  his  hopes  were,  so  glowing  and  bright, 

How  his  life's  sun  arose  with  no  clouds  in  the  sky. 
Then  so  sudden  went  down  in  such  darkness  of  night, 

Murm'ring  thoughts  to  subdue,  it  seems  vain  that  I  try  ! 
He  was  all  things  to  me,  there's  naught  ever  can  fill, 

In  my  wounded  and  bruised  heart,  the  aching  void  left, 
Oft  I  strive  to  forget,  but  I  think  of  him  still. 

And  in  anguish  my  heart  moans,  '  Bereft  !  Oh  !  bereft !' 

' '  Oh  !  Amelia,  remember,  though  poignant  the  grief. 

This  one  thought,  that  our  Father  permitted  the  blow, 
Our  repinings  should  still,  to  our  hearts  bring  relief. 

For  He  deals  but  in  wisdom  to  mortals  below. 
Then  dispel  all  this  gloom,  look  on  life's  brighter  side. 

Though  the  pathway  seems  dark,  light  is  shining  beyond, 
W"ith  each  duty  performed  we  no  ills  need  betide, 

But  sink  sweetly  to  rest  when  declines  the  day's  sun.' 

' '  I  feel  all  that  you  say,  to  its  truth  I  attest, 

And  the  strange  cup  I  drink,  I  accept  what  is  given, 
21 


270  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Calmness  now  fills  my  breast,  but  not  rest,  no,  not  rest, 
I  will  find  that  alone  when  I  find  it  in  Heaven  ! 

Ves,  beyond  the  cold  tide  and  the  mists  of  life's  ocean, 
Loved  Brusabo  awaits,  standing  on  the  dim  shore. 

In  the  twilight  oft,  oft,  he  is  seeming  to  motion 

For  me  there  to  join  him  where  are  sorrows  no  more.'  " 


I  place  next,  not  as  a  model  epithalamium,  a  little  piece, 
slightly  revised,  written  and  read  at  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Andrew  S.  Cutler  and  Miss  Mary  Jane  Ball,  December 
16,  1869. 

On  a  lovely  prairie  in  the  State  of  Ind. 
In  a  pleasant  home  well  sheltered  from  the  wind. 
Two  little  flowers  appeared  not  many  years  ago, 
Growing  in  the  sunshine  and  dreading  not  the  snow. 

Like  the  lily  opening,  like  the  rose,  they  grew. 
Showing  forth  alike  the  sweet,  the  pure,  the  true  ; 
Like  twins  indeed  they  seemed  on  one  rich  rose  stalk  set. 
Fed  by  the  self-same  showers,  by  tlie  same  dew-drops  wet. 

Fast  they  grew  and  lovely  thus  growing  side  by  side  ; 
But  lovely  things  and  pleasant  may  not  long  abide  ; 
The  one  was  taken  up  within  the  gates  of  light. 
The  other  blooms  in  beauty  here  with  us  to-night. 

vSaid  I  two  little  flowers  ?  Oh  no,  two  gentle  birds. 
Came  to  that  prairie  home,  I  change  two  little  words ; 
One  came  in  glowing  autumn,  mid  October's  sun  ; 
The  other  in  December,  this  the  youngest  one. 

I  know  not  whence  they  came,  but  I  am  very  sure 
They  seemed  to  us  like  doves  and  like  the  robins  pure. 
Were  they  birds  of  passage?  or  were  they  birds  of  song? 
One  flew  to  Paradise  ;  may  this  one  tarry  long. 

Did  I  say  flowers  and  birds?  They  were  my  sisters  dear. 
Who  for  some  twenty  years  were  seldom  severed  here ; 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  27 1 

Alike  they  grew  in  knowledge  and  alike  in  love, 
Were  they  gentle  visitants  sent  us  from  above  ? 

They  were  the  household  pets,  the  youngest  of  our  band  ; 
(There  are  not  "  seven  "  to-night  together  here  to  stand  ;) 
It  has  been  said,  the  youngest  never  do  grow  old  ; 
'Tis  sure  that  loving  natures  never  need  grow  cold. 

Joy  for  that  flown  and  freed  one.     Perfect  joy  and  love 
Are  where  we  trust  she  dwells  among  the  good  above. 
And  joy  to  this  young  bride,  unmingled  by  earth's  fear  ; 
Though  perfect  joy  and  perfect  bliss  are  not  the  dwellers  here. 

Yet  to  sister  Mary  and  brother  Andrew  joy  ! 
May  life  for  them  be  bright  with  little  to  annoy. 
No  tears  are  shed  to-night  around  our  household  tree  ; 
For  hope,  and  peace,  and  love,  go  with  the  truly  fi'ee. 

The  two  sisters  referred  to  above  were  Mary  Jane  and 
Henrietta  Ball,  both  born  at  Cedar  Lake,  and  in  their 
childhood  and  youth  almost  inseperable  companions  in 
every  occupation.  The  younger,  Henrietta,  consid- 
ered by  all  who  knew  her  as  being  richly  endowed  in  all 
the  qualities  and  capabilities  that  gave  promise  of  a  noble 
womanhood,  graduating  at  the  Indianapolis  Female  In- 
stitute in  1861,  died  at  Cedar  Lake,  January  27,  1S63, 
being  twenty-one  years  of  age. 


"MYTH  AND  TRUTH;  OR,  PAST  AND  FUTURE  GLORY. 

"  I  have  read  the  ancient  stories. 
Fables,  legends,  fiction,  truth  ; 
Read  of  many  wondrous  glories. 
Told  of  nations  in  their  youth. 

"  Read  of  Eastern  pomp  and  splendor. 
Read  of  warriovs  true  and  Ijold  : 


272  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Of  a  noted  witch  of  Endor, 
And  a  temple  bright  with  gold. 

"  Read  of  peace  and  read  of  slaughter, 

Written  in  the  Book  of  books  ; 

Moses  found  by  Pharaoh's  daughter, 

Strong  in  faith  and  fair  in  looks. 

"  Of  the  Shepherd  boy  so  fearless. 
Smiting  with  a  sling  and  stone, 
'Mong  the  warrior  poets  peerless, 
King  at  length  on  Judah's  throne. 

"  Read  of  gifted  prophets  many, 

Those  so  grand,  and  true,  and  wise, 
Unexcelled  on  earth  by  any, 
Seeing  distant  glories  rise. 

"  Prophets,  poets,  seers  and  sages, 

Shepherds,  soldiers,  priests  and  kings 
Earth  still  holds  these  deathless  pages, 
Earth  still  with  their  record  rings. 

"  I  have  read  the  myths  and  fables. 
That  arose  in  ancient  time, 
Like  that  tale  of  Augean  stables. 
Fictions  most  of  love  and  crime. 

"  Persian,  Hindoo,  Scald  or  Norseman, 
All  these  have  their  legends  old  ; 
Romans  tell  of  two  twin  horsemen, 
Pollux,  Castor,  swift  and  bold. 

"  Romans  tell  of  many  a  hero, 

Who  has  borne  him  well  in  fight  ; 
Long  before  the  bloody  Nero, 
Rome  had  fabled  gods  of  might. 

"  Greek  and  Arab  lack  not  fable, ' 
And  they  give  us  stories  rare, 


INCIDENTS   AND    ITEMS.  273 

Arthur's  Knights  and  his  Round  Table, 
Scarcely  with  them  can  compare. 

'  Myths  and  legends  all  might  perish, 
They  are  powerless  on  the  heart  ; 
Sacred  truth  the  world  should  cherish, 
Never  with  it  can  it  part. 

"  Still  in  future  myths  may  linger, 
Will  be  read  by  students  o'er. 
But  there  points  an  index  finger, 
Ever  to  the  sacred  lore  ; 

'■  Saying  to  earth's  children  ever. 
Listen  to  these  words  divine. 
Lay  aside  the  prophets  never, 
Future  glories  soon  will  shine. 

"  Buried  in  the  depths  of  ages, 

Lies  the  greatness  myths  declare  ; 
Promised  on  the  sacred  pages. 
Future  greatness  looms  forth  fair. 

''  Let  earth's  children  read  and  ponder, 
Let  them  earnest  workers  be, 
For  the  day  dawns,  see  it  yonder  ! 
Soon  earth's  millions  will  be  free. 

Soon  will  come  the  Latter  Glory  ; 

Ours  a  glory  yet  to  be, 
When  each  fabled  mythic  story 

Sinks  beneath  oblivion's  sea.  Y.  N.  L." 


I  place  last,  among  these  selections,  a  little  piece  read 
at  the  marriage  of  Dr.  H.  H.  Pratt  and  Miss  Carrie  R. 
farvis.  May  15,  1872,  and  to  them  affectionately  dedi- 
cated. 


274  LAKE    COUNTY. 

A  NEW  PSALM  OF  LIFE. 

Our  life  is  what  we  make  it. 
Then  if  we  could  only  know, 
How  to  take  the  ebb  and  flow 
Of  the  mighty  currents  round, 
Bearing  swiftly,  without  sound, 
To  the  dark  unfathomed  deep, 
It  might  be  grand  and  glorious. 
Death  is  not  an  endless  sleep. 

Listen  to  the  words,  "  What  cheer?" 
Cheer  to  thee  amid  the  gloom  ! 
Cheer  to  thee  amid  the  strife  ! 
Through  the  many  struggles  here, 
That  may  lead  to  endless  life  ! 
Through  the  dark,  and  through  the  bright, 
Those  still  steadfast  to  the  right. 
Whisper  to  each  other  cheer. 

Ah  !  'tis  not  alone  to  breathe, 
Not  to  eat  and  drink  alone. 
That  make  up  life,  something  more — 
Things  that  live  beyond  time's  shore. 
Life  is  more,  yes,  more  than  meat, 
More  than  raiment  too,  is  life. 
Sit  at  the  Great  Teacher's  feet, 
Leai^n  the  worth  of  toil  and  strife. 

Yes,  life  is  what  we  make  it ; 

Our  life  is  as  we  take  it. 

Marked  with  brightness,  love  and  joy, 

Worthless  with  some  base  alloy. 

And  alas  !  how  very  mean, 

How  sad,  how  vainly  wasted. 

Its  sweets  almost  untasted. 

Is  the  life  of  many  a  queen. 


INCIDENTS    AND    ITEMS.  275 

From  the  highest  to  the  low, 
From  the  throne  to  peasant's  cot, 
Few  solve  aright  life's  mystery, 
Few  that  share  a  blessed  lot. 
For  life  is  what  we  make  it, 
And  we  do  not  make  it  bright  ; 
Our  life  is  as  we  take  it, 
And  we  do  not  take  it  right.    "" 

It  may  lead  us  up  on  high, 
Through  the  blue  and  lovely  sky, 
To  the  gift  of  a  white  stone. 
To  a  super-human  throne. 
To  a  new  name  written  bright. 
And  to  mansions  fair  as  light  ; 
To  the  gates  of  endless  day, 
Where  no  loved  ones  pass  away. 


276  LAKE    COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  XL 

SKETCHES    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS. 
"  MEN  DIE  BUT  PRINCIPLES  LIVE." 

"  Better  to  weave  in  the  web  of  life 

A  bright  and  golden  filling, 
And  to  do  God's  will  with  a  ready  heart, 

And  hands  that  are  swift  and  willing, 
Than  to  snap  the  minute,  delicate  threads 

Of  our  curious  life  asunder, 
And  then  blame  heaven  for  the  tangled  ends, 

And  sit,  and  grieve  and  wonder." 

Lord  Bacon,  it  is  said,  assigns  the  highest  meed  of 
earthly  fame  to  the  founders  of  States,  to  those  whom 
the  Romans  called  conditores  iniperiorum.  The  early  set- 
tlers of  the  United  States,  especially  those  world-renowned 
men,  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  of  New  England,  doubtless  be- 
long to  the  class  and  merit  the  fame  of  "  Founders  of 
States"  or  conditoi-es  i7nperiorum;  but  those  who  first  pen- 
etrated the  Western  wilds,  like  Daniel  Boone,  when  Ken- 
tucky was  the  "dark  and  bloody  ground,"  pioneer  men 
in  their  home-spun,  and  with  their  rifles,  certainly  deserve 
some  of  the  credit  and  honor  belonging  to  builders  and 
founders.  And  our  own  early  settlers,  who  first  woke  the 
echoes  of  civilization  in  Northwestern  Indiana,  who  en- 
dured hardships,  and  privations,  and  exposures,  to  estab- 


SKETCHES    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS.  277 

lish  a  county  and  found  a  small  republic,  although  not 
exposed  to  the  Indian  tomahawk,  are  nevertheless  justly- 
entitled  to  some  meed  of  fame  as  men  who  truly  belonged 
to  the  class  of  builders.  Lake  county  was  a  wild  when 
they  entered  it,  beautiful  and  fertile,  it  is  true,  like  pri- 
meval nature,  but  inhabited  by  wild  animals  innumerable 
and  the  lingering  Pottawatomies. 

Taking  possession,  for  the  generations  of  the  future,  of 
five  hundred  square  miles  of  surface,  they  at  once  began 
to  build  for  the  benefit  of  posterity.  Law  and  order, 
and  material  comforts ;  and  social,  and  intellectual,  and 
religious  institutions,  rapidly  grew  up  under  their  fos- 
tering care.  Few  of  them  now  remain  among  us,  and  no 
full  sketches  can  here  be  given  even  of  those  most  dis- 
tinguished in  our  earliest  annals.  For  a  notice  of  some, 
however,  I  possess  more  ample  material  than  I  do  con- 
cerning others  ;  and  in  the  brief  sketches  that  follow  I 
hope  to  do  none  injustice. 

SOLON    ROBINSON. 

The  readers  of  these  chapters  have  already  become 
somewhat  familiar  with  the  name  written  above.  Al- 
though not  quite  the  first  settler,  yet  of  right,  the  first 
sketch  should  be  of  him  whose  name  is  so  fully  inter- 
woven with  our  early  records.  From  1834  to  1851,  Solon 
Robinson  was  intimately  identified  with  the  interests  of 
Lake.  A  native  of  Connecticut,  he  spent  some  years  in 
the  southern  part  of  Indiana.  Removing  with  a  young 
family  into  this  beautiful  wild,  away  from  civilized  man, 
he  was  active  in  forming  the  Squatters'  Union  ;  was  the 
first  recorder  of  claims ;  after  the  organization  of  the 
county  was  elected  clerk;  was  clerk  and  general  manager 


278  LAKE    COUNTY. 

of  the  board  of  commissioners  ;  at  his  house  the  first 
courts  were  held ;  and  by  means  of  his  situation,  his  op- 
portunities, his  intelligence,  his  capabilities,  and  his  tal- 
ent, he  to  so  great  an  extent  controlled  the  affairs  of  the 
settlers  that  he  gained  the  title  of  "  Squatter  King  of 
Lake."  I  am  not  aware  that  he  was  disposed  to  be  arbi- 
trary, or  despotic,  or  overbearing ; — he  was  himself,  then, 
but  a  squatter  among  squatters,  and  although  soon  by 
means  of  his  pen  he  began  to  shape  for  himself  a  new 
line  of  life  ;  he  was  affable,  familiar,  plain,  hospitable, 
kind  and  accommodating; — but  he  doubtless  liked  to 
wield  influence,  and  was  then  entering  upon  a  career 
that  gained  for  him  no  little  celebrity.  Practically,  he 
was  not  much  of  a  farmer.  His  garden  spot,  where  the 
Indians  had  raised  maize,  formed  the  common  garden  of 
the  summer  of  1835  of  the  four  families  of  the  settle- 
ment; and  although  he  in  common  with  them  "broke  up" 
the  prairie  sod  and  commenced  making  farms,  his  official 
duties  and  merchandising  soon  engrossed  his  time,  and 
that  Indian  garden  spot  became  his  principal  sphere  of 
actual  farming  operations.  Yet  he  took  an  interest  in 
agriculture  and  commenced  writing  for  the  Cultivator. 
The  first  article  which  I  find,  on  a  somewhat  careful  ex- 
amination of  some  bound  volumes,  is  dated  Lake  C.  H., 
July  12,  1837.  It  is  headed,  "  Nutmeg  Potatoes — Lake 
Superior  Corn."  It  speaks  of  sending  "  prairie  flower 
seeds,"  is  short,  and  reads  like  the  communication  of  a 
new  correspondent.  A  longer  communication  is  in  a 
succeeding  number,  dated  August  29,  which  contains  a 
proposition  to  increase  the  circulation  of  the  Cultivator, 
and  the  proposition  is  accompanied   with   a  five  dollar 


SKETCHES    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS.  279 

subscription  for  gratuitous  distribution.  In  1838  and 
1839  other  communications  followed.  In  1840,  I  find 
twelve;  in  1841,  fifteen;  in  1842,  seven;  in  1843,  five; 
Cultivator  communications. 

In  1843  Solon  Robinson  was  removed  from  the  office 
of  postmaster,  which  he  had  for  so  long  a  time  held.  As 
he  expressed  it,  see  Cultivator ^  "  in  the  operations  of  Ty- 
lerism  I  have  lately  lost  the  franking  privilege";  and  he 
assigns  this  as  a  reason  for  not  writing  so  many  letters  as 
formerly.  He  feared  his  friends  would  not  consider  them 
worth  the  postage.  Letters  cost  in  those  days,  and  were 
not  generally  prepaid.  He  says  :  "  For  the  same  reason 
my  communications  to  the  numerous  agricultural  papers 
will  be  less  frequent  than  formerly."  For  what  other 
papers  he  wrote  I  am  not  informed.  These  contributions 
to  the  Cultivator  are  on  a  variety  of  topics  of  interest  to 
farmers,  and  some  of  them  are  sketches  of  life  in  the 
West  at  that  early  period  ;  and  some  of  them  are  addressed 
to  "Western  Emigrants."  In  one  of  these  he  says  well, 
"An  able  general  selects  a  small  portion  of  a  large  army 
for  pioneers  because  of  the  peculiar  fitness  of  that  small 
part  for  that  arduous  and  important  service.  It  is  my 
opinion  that  a  much  smaller  portion  of  the  community 
are  fit  for  pioneers  in  settling  a  new  country."  He  there- 
fore does  not  advise  everybody  to  come  West. 

These  various  articles,  by  their  style  and  from  their 
locality,  secured  many  readers,  gained  for  their  author 
much  celebrity,  and  made  his  name  familiar  in  very  many 
farmer  homes.  They  secured  for  him  also  many  corres- 
pondents. 

As  early  as  March,  183S,  he  made  the  proposal  to  form 


28o  LAKE    COUNTY. 

an  "American  Society  of  Agriculture."  This  subject  he 
agitated  considerably,  and  in  April,  1841,  he  wrote  "  an 
address  to  the  farmers  of  the  United  States,"  which  went 
out  through  the  columns  of  the  Cultivator.  In  April,  of 
the  same  year,  he  wrote  to  the  editors  of  the  Cultivator 
the  following : 

"I  now  have  in  contemplation  to  make  an  extensive 
agricuitural  tour  during  the  coming  summer,  and  it  would 
be  a  great  pleasure  to  me,  and  I  have  reason  to  believe  it 
would  be  equally  so  to  some  of  your  readers,  to  form  a 
personal  acquaintance  with  them  as  far  as  practicable ; 
and  as  I  shall  '  take  notes,'  and  you  will  '  print  them,'  it 
may  also  conduce  to  our  mutual  improvement.  I  have, 
therefore,  thought  proper  to  make  this  public  announce- 
ment of  my  intentions  and  route." 

He  then  names  the  places  through  which  he  will  pass, 
and  individuals  upon  whom  he  expects  to  call,  along 
quite  a  route  of  travel.  That  trip  he  took.  The  Octo- 
ber Cultivator  contains  the  following  editorial : 

"  It  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  state  that  our  friend 
Solon  Robinson,  Esq.,  the  zealous  and  able  promoter  of 
industry,  and  the  original  projector  of  a  National  Agri- 
cultural Society,  has  safely  arrived  at  Washington,  and 
that  on  the  fourth  of  September  a  meeting  was  held  in 
the  Hall  of  the  Patent  Office,  at  which  the  incipient  steps 
for  the  formation  of  such  a  society  were  taken."  After 
giving  proceedings  they  add  :  "  We  here  gladly  insert  the 
remarks  of  Mr.  Robinson,  accompanying  and  explaining 
the  report  of  the  proceedings,  in  preference  to  anything 
we  could  add  ourselves  in  enforcing  the  propriety  and 
necessity  of  such  an  organization.     It  is  indeed  proba- 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  261 

ble  that  before  this  sheet  goes  to  the  press,  Mr.  Robinson 
will  have  been  among  us  ;  and  we  cannot  doubt  his  re- 
ception among  his  agricultural  friends  in  the  east  and 
north,  will  be  such  as  to  convince  him  that  they  will  not 
be  behind  those  of  any  portion  of  the  Union,  in  a  cor- 
dial support  to  his  great  undertaking." 

It  thus  appears  that  the  credit  of  forming  a  National 
Agricultural  Society  belongs  to  the  County  of  Lake. 
Those  "  remarks  "  that  followed  are  too  lengthy  to  be 
here  given. 

To  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances,  here,  it  was  quite 
entertaining  to  see  how  distinguished  and  popular  their 
fellow  citizen  had  become  abroad,  and  especially  when 
they  looked  upon  his  little  farm  in  the  garden  and  knew 
that  practically  he  was  not  a  farmer  at  all.  They  had 
not  fully  learned  that  the  pen  was  "  mightier  than  the 
sword,"  or  even  then  the  heavy  plows  which  tJiey 
followed,  and  the  scythes  and  the  cradles  which  they 
swung. 

Solon  Robinson  returned  home  to  Crown  Point ;  staid 
a  little  longer  among  us ;  represented  our  State  in  a  large 
convention  at  Chicago  among  such  men  as  Tom  Corwin, 
Horace  Greeley,  and  other  notables  of  the  land,  in  about 
1845  ;  made  a  tour,  as  a  Western  agricultural  writer, 
through  the  Southern  States ;  and  made  a  visit  to  New 
York.  He  found  a  position  that  seemed  to  suit  him  bet- 
ter than  holding  office  in  Lake  County.  He  left  his 
family  here,  a  wife,  two  sons,  and  two  daughters ;  made 
to  Judge  Turner,  of  Crown  Point,  a  deed  of  his  real 
estate  in  Lake  and  J^a  Porte  Counties  for  the  benefit  of 
his  wife ;  and  they  separated  by  7niitual  agreement. 


202  LAKE    COUNTY, 

He  took  a  position  in  connection  with  the  New  York 
Tribu7ie. 

His  life  in  New  York  it  is  not  a  part  of  my  present  task 
to  give.  It  is  sufficient  on  this  to  say  that  his  moral  prin- 
ciples were  not  of  the  Puritanical  school,  and  that  the 
man  who  would  abandon  such  a  woman  as  was  Mrs.  Ma- 
ria Robinson  could  not  be  expected  afterwards  to  lead  a 
very  exemplary  life. 

HIS    LITERARY    PRODUCTIONS. 

The  first  of  these,  so  far  as  here  known,  was  a  story  of 
Indian  and  border  life,  called  "The  Will."  The  scene 
was  laid,  on  the  Indian  side,  at  Cedar  Lake,  other  inci- 
dents transpired  in  the  bounds  of  the  county.  It  is 
quite  an  interesting  story.  The  next  was  called,  "  The 
Last  of  the  Buffaloes."  This  I  have  not  read.  These 
two  were  written  and  published  while  he  was  residing  at 
Crown  Point.  After  he  became  established  at  New  York 
he  published,  in  book  form,  "  Hot  Corn,"  "  Green  Moun- 
tain Girls,"  and  "A  Dime  a  Day,  or  Economy  of  Living 
Well ;  "  also  a  story  in  the  Weekly  Tribune  called,  "  Me- 
won-i-toc,"  the  scene  of  which  was  laid  in  Lake  County. 
He  also  edited  a  large  work  of  some  four  or  five  hun- 
dred pages,  called  "Farmers'  Encyclopaedia." 

In  or  about  1868  he  left  the  Tribune  office  and  made 
his  home  at  Jacksonville,  Florida.  He  is  understood  to 
be  in  easy  circumstances,  even  what  here  we  would  call 
wealthy,  having  an  income  of  some  four  or  five  thousand 
dollars  a  year. 

In  person  he  is  rather  tall,  spare,  dignified ;  accustomed 
to  the  ways  of  society.  His  hair  was  white  thirty-five 
years  ago,  and  it  has  not  grown  dark  since.     His  age  is 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  283 

sixty-eight.  Although  the  pen  has  been  his  special  instru- 
ment, and  that  to  which  in  a  great  degree  he  owes  his 
celebrity  and  position  and  wealth ;  yet  he  can  speak 
easily  and  readily  ;  and  has  evidently  possessed  a  shrewd 
and  cultivated  intellect ;  cultivated  not  by  the  learning 
and  drill  of  the  schools,  but  by  thought  and  effort  in 
actual  life. 

In  one  article  to  Western  Emigrants  he  says  :  "  Hap- 
piness and  not  wealth  should  be  the  aim  of  all,  though 
no  man  should  allow  himself  to  be  happy  without  he  is 
doing  some  good  in  the  world — promoting  the  happiness 
of  his  fellow  creatures  as  well  as  himself." 

In  closing  up  his  last  address  to  the  Lake  County  Tem- 
perance Society,  in  the  year  i8zi7,  Solon  Robinson  gave 
utterance  to  the  following  words  : 

"And  as  for  myself  I  will  ask  no  prouder  monument  to 
my  fame  than  to  be  assured  that  the  members  of  this 
society  will  stand  as  mourners  around  my  grave,  and, 
pointing  to  the  lifeless  form  beneath  the  falling  sods, 
shall  truly  say,  '  There  lies  a  brother  who  in  this  life  had 
an  ardent  desire  to  promote  the  happiness  of  his  fellow 
creatures.  May  his  historian  be  able  to  record  that  in 
the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  was  eminently  successful  in 
this.'" 

Scattered  and  dead  as  most  of  the  members  of  that 
society  now  are,  and  far  away  from  this  region  as  he  who 
uttered  these  words  now  resides,  himself  an  aged  man, 
it  is  not  probable  any  of  these  associates  will  aid  in  lay- 
ing his  lifeless  form  away  to  rest.  And  I  fear,  if  rumor 
be  true,  that  in  these  "  latter  years,"  he,  like  too  many 
of  us,  has  forgotten  sometimes  the  happiness   of  his  fel- 


284  LAKE    COUNTY. 

low  creatures  in  the  pursuit  and  enjoyment  of  merely 
selfish  gratifications.  But  well,  evidently,  has  Solon  Rob- 
inson known  how,  and/i?;-  what,  men  ought  to  live.  The 
Perfect  Records  will  show  at  the  last  whether  he  has 
achieved  an  eminent  success. 

GEORGE    EARLE. 

The  town  of  Liverpool,  so  noted  in  our  early  history, 
was  on  an  Indian  reservation,  or  on  land  selected  under 
an  Indian  float.  In  the  Recorder's  Office  is  a  copy  of 
the  patent,  signed  by  Andrew  Jackson,  President  of  the 
United  States,  June  16,  1836,  conveying  to  John  B.  Chap- 
man Section  24,  Township  36,  Range  8,  being  603.60  acres, 
in  accordance  with  the  third  article  of  the  treaty  made 
on  the  Tippecanoe  River  with  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of 
the  Pottawatomies  in  1832.  The  town  plat  as  recorded 
bears  the  date  January  30,  1836.  In  this  town  George 
Earle,  from  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  a  native  of  Fal- 
mouth, England,  became  a  resident  in  the  year  1836. 
Prominent  as  he  soon  became  among  the  settlers,  he  was 
not  himself  a  squatter.  He  was  at  first  agent  for  the 
proprietors  of  the  town,  he  was  afterwards  County  Agent, 
and  purchasing  one  interest  after  another,  he  became 
owner  of  a  large  tract  of  land.  Section  18,  T.  36,  R.  7, 
was  bought  by  John  B.  Chapman,  one  of  the  original 
proprietors  of  Liverpool,  for  $800,  of  Re-re-mo-sau,  or 
Parish,  also  written  Parrish,  as  the  deed  says,  "  once  a 
chief  but  now  an  Indian  of  the  Pottawatomies."  So 
near  as  I  have  ascertained  some  ten  or  twelve  sections  of 
land  came  at  length  into  the  hands  of  the  County  Agent. 
Across   this  land  railroads  were   at   length  built.     The 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  285 

towns  of  Lake  and   Hobart  were  laid  out  and  grew  up 
upon  it,  and  the  owner  became  wealthy. 

A  personal  friend,  yet  at  the  same  time  a  rival  of  Solon 
Robinson  for  the  location  of  the  county  seat,  gaining  it 
at  first  and  losing  the  location  afterward,  his  agency  in 
the  naming  of  the  permanent  county  seat  and  sale  of  the 
lots  has  been  already  mentioned.  After  the  question  of 
location  was  finally  settled  the  proprietor  of  Liverpool 
continued  to  improve  that  place.  It  was  claimed  to  be 
the  head  of  navigation  on  the  river,  and  a  large  boat  was 
built  in  1 840- '41  to  carry  produce  to  Chicago  and  to 
open  inland  commerce.  The  navigation  proved  diffi- 
cult. The  boat  was  taken  in  1841  by  horse-power  to 
Chicago,  was  remodeled  into  a  schooner,  and,  while 
making  a  voyage,  was  wrecked  near  Michigan  City.  The 
time  had  not  then  come  for  the  boat  navigation  of  our 
marshy  rivers.  Finding  that  Liverpool  was  not  likely  to 
become  a  city,  its  proprietor  in  the  spring  of  1845  com- 
menced building  mills  at  Hobart,  distant  some  three 
miles.  The  dam  and  saw  mill  were  completed  in  1846,  a 
grist  mill  was  soon  in  operation,  and  the  family  removed 
to  that  place  in  1847.     The  town  was  laid  out  in  1848. 

In  1854  the  proprietor  of  Liverpool,  and  Lake,  and  Ho- 
bart, returned  to  Philadelphia,  leaving  his  son,  John 
Earle,  to  manage  the  property  interests  in  the  county. 

The  resemblances  and  the  contrasts  between  Solon 
Robinson  and  George  Earle  are  somewhat  singular  and 
marked.  Both  remained  some  sixteen  or  seventeen  years 
in  this  county.  One  founded  a  town  and  secured  the 
county  seat;  the  other  obtained  the  county  seat  but  lost 
it,  and  laid   out   and  established  other  towns.     The  one 


286  LAKE    COUNTY. 

retired  to  New  York ;  the  other  to  Philadelphia.  The 
one,  well  as  he  knew  the  lands  of  the  county,  invested 
but  little  in  land,  and  left  here  the  owner  of  none,  de- 
pending for  his  future  fortune  upon  his  talent  and  his 
pen ;  the  other  made  selections  of  land  that  proved 
profitable  investments,  and  retired  to  use  the  pencil  and 
the  brush,  to  draw  architect's  plans  and  place  forms  of 
beauty  on  canvas.  The  one  seems  carefully  to  avoid  re- 
visiting the  scenes  of  his  settler  days ;  the  other  frequently 
returns  to  his  former  home  in  his  railroad  town.  Both 
had  talent  and  intelligence,  both  have  now  the  reputation 
of  possessing  ample  means ;  but  their  early  training,  na- 
tive tastes,  and  circumstances  in  life,  havs  led  to  differ- 
ent results.  In  1855  George  Earle  revisited  his  native 
place  in  England.  He  made  a  second  visit  in  1865,  and 
a  third  in  1868.  While  there  he  caused  to  be  erected 
a  home  for  the  poor  and  aged  of  the  town  of  Falmouth, 
at  a  cost  of  ^30,000,  and  made  a  donation  of  it  to  the 
town.  Fond  of  architecture  and  painting,  he  in  his 
home  at  Philadelphia,  sometimes  made  architectural  de- 
signs, combining  profit  with  pleasure ;  and  in  leisure 
hours  painted  a  number  of  pictures  which  have  been 
placed  upon  the  walls  of  the  art-gallery  which  he  erected 
at  Hobart  in  1858.  He  made  a  visit  of  several  weeks 
during  this  summer,  at  the  residence  of  his  son,  and  will 
probably  soon  revisit  the  shores  of  England.  He  is  tall 
in  person,  dignified  and  courteous  in  manners,  manifest- 
ing the  bearing  of  an  American  and  English  gentleman. 

HON.    LEWIS    WARRINER. 

Lewis  Warriner  was  born  in  West   Springfield,  Massa- 
chuetts,  in   June,  1792.     He  settled  on  the  east  side  of 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  287 

Cedar  Lake,  November  9,  1837,  having  lived  until  that 
year  in  his  native  town,  near  the  west  bank  of  the  Con- 
necticut. 

His  wife,  an  estimable  woman,  Mrs.  Sabra  Warriner, 
two  sons  and  two  daughters,  composed  the  family.  En- 
tering actively  upon  the  occupations  of  a  new  country 
life,  a  pleasant  and  happy  home  seemed  secure  for  this 
New  England  family;  but  the  "sickly  season  "  of  1838 
came  upon  them,  sickness  entered  their  home,  death  dark- 
ened their  door,  and  the  loved  forms  of  the  mother  and 
youngest  daughter  were  soon  laid  away  to  rest  in  that 
now  neglected  mound  on  the  bank  of  the  lake.  The 
others  rose  up  from  sickness,  and  with  strong  hearts  en- 
tered anew  upon  the  work  of  providing  comforts  for  a 
home  out  of  which  so  much  light  and  joy  had  departed. 

A  mail  route  was  opened  this  same  year  from  Crown 
Point  to  West  Creek,  twelve  miles,  and  Lewis  ^^'arriner 
was  appointed  post  master,  being  the  second  or  third  one 
in  the  county.  This  office  he  held  until  1849  when,  in 
Gen.  Taylor's  administration,  he  was  removed.  When 
the  administration  changed,  in  1852,  he  was  again  ap- 
pointed, and  held  the  office  until  he  left  the  county  in 
1856. 

In  the  State  of  Massachusetts  he  had  been  sent  four 
times  as  representative  to  Boston,  and  filled  other  posi- 
tions of  honor  and  trust  in  his  native  State.  In  1839  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Indiana  Legislature  to  rep- 
resent Lake  and  Porter  Counties,  his  competitors  being, 
it  is  believed,  L.  Bradley,  of  City  West,  and  B.  McCiirty, 
of  Valparaiso. 

So  far  as  I  can   ascertain,  he  was  the   first   ciiizci-i   of 


288  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Lake  County  sent  to  the  Legislature.  In  1840  he  took 
the  first  United  States  census  in  our  bounds.  He  was 
again  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in  1848. 

He  was  one  of  the  constituent  members  of  the  Cedar 
Lake  Baptist  Church,  organized  in  June,  1838,  having 
been,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  Agawam  Baptist 
Church,  in  West  Springfield,  and  remained  true  to  his 
Christian  profession  until  his  death.  He  was  an  excel- 
lent neighbor,  an  exemplary  church  member,  a  useful, 
active  citizen,  and  in  public  life,  both  in  Massachusetts 
and  in  Indiana,  discharged  his  official  duties  faithfully 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 

His  surviving  children  both  having  married  and  left 
the  county,  he,  in  1856,  went  to  reside  with  his  son,  Ed- 
win B.  Warriner,  at  Kankakee,  Illinois,  and  afterwards 
with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  James  A.  Hunt.  He  died  at  his 
son-in-law's  residence  at  Prairie  Grove,  Fayette  County, 
Arkansas,  May  14,  1869,  being  almost  77  years  of  age. 

I  quote  the  following:  "As  a  man  he  always  com- 
manded the  highest  respect  and  confidence  of  his  neigh- 
bors and  acquaintances  in  all  the  walks  of  life,  both 
public  and  private,  and  was  always  ready  to  give  his  in- 
fluence and  support  for  every  object  tending  to  benefit 
or  improve  his  fellow  man. 

"As  a  Christian  he  was  active  and  sincere,  both  in  his 
church  duties  and  in  his  every  day  life  and  examples,  the 
influences  of  which  were  felt  and  acknowledged  by  his 
neighbors  and  associates  as  being  consistent  and  earnest 
and  of  a  character  that  quietly  leads  into  the  ways  of 
truth  and  life." 

Of  his  five  children,  one  only  is  now  living,  Edwin  B 
Warriner,  of  Kankakee. 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  289 

JUDGE  HERVEY  BALL,  A.M. 

Hervey  Ball  was  born  in  West  Springfield,  ]V[assaclin- 
setts,  October  i6,  1794.  His  ancestors  had  lived  in  that 
region  since  1640.  He  was  educated  for  the  bar,  gradu- 
ated at  Middlebury  College,  Vermont,  in  1818,  and  stud- 
ied law  for  two  years  in  that  State.  In  1820  he  settled 
in  Columbia  County,  Georgia,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Augusta  bar  until  1834.  Spending  then  a  few  years  in 
New  England,  in  1837  he  settled  at  Cedar  Lake,  being 
then  forty-three  years  of  age.  He  had  been  successful 
as  a  lawyer,  was  thoroughly  educated  and  well  read ;  he 
brought  with  him  to  Cedar  Lake  quite  a  large  law  and 
general  library ;  but  instead  of  devoting  himself  anew  to 
his  profession  and  becoming,  as  he  easily  might  have  be- 
come, a  Circuit  Judge,  being  then  scarcely  in  the  prime 
of  life,  he  devoted  himself  to  farming  pursuits,  except 
holding,  for  some  years,  the  office  of  County  Surveyor, 
and  afterwards,  for  several  years,  that  of  Probate  Judge, 
and  in  his  later  years  administering  justice  among  his 
neighbors  as  Justice  of  the  Peace;  giving  his  special 
attention  to  the  training  of  his  seven  children  and  to 
general  interests  for  the  good  of  community.  He  was  thor- 
oughly identified  for  thirty  years  with  the  religious  inter- 
ests of  the  county,  especially  in  forming  and  sustaining 
Sabbath  Schools,  and  in  originating  and  sustaining  Bap- 
tist Churches.  His  interest  extended  outside  of  the 
county  through  the  Northern  Indiana  Association,  the 
meetings  of  which  he  usually  attended,  of  which  body 
he  was  sometimes  Moderator;  and  he  was  also  for  a 
time  Trustee  of  Franklin  College.  Ministers  of  any 
denomination  were  always  hospitably  welcomed  and  ci  - 


290  LAKE    COUNTY. 

tertained  at  his  house ;  and  there  both  the  Baptist  and 
Presbyterian  pioneers  preached  their  first  sermons.  The 
Cedar  Lake  School  House,  on  his  place,  has  been  already 
mentioned  in  this  volume,  and  the  literary,  intellectual, 
and  religious  influences  referred  to  of  which  it  was  the 
home.     (See  the  article  on  Schools  in  Chapter  X). 

During  his  professional  life,  and  even  in  college  life, 
he  had  mingled  much  in  the  gay,  the  busy,  and  the  polite 
world,  and  was  familiar  with  the  leading  men  of  his  State 
in  political  and  religious  life.  Among  his  fellow  students 
in  college  were  Stephen  Olin,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Bingham,  an 
early  missionary  to  the  Sandwich  Islands ;  he  was  famil- 
iar with  Seymour  and  Governor  Slade,  of  Vermont ;  his 
partner  in  the  law  was  a  member  of  Congress ;  his  ac- 
quaintances and  associates  were  the  wealthy  and  the 
cultivated.  He  had  traveled  considerably  and  thus 
gained  a  large  experience.  The  benefit  of  these  asso- 
ciations and  this  experience  were  of  great  advantage  to 
his  children  and  the  youth  connected  with  them  in  their 
secluded  home. 

During  his  retired  farmer  life  his  associations  were  in 
part  continued  with  the  political  and  religious  world,  as 
he  took  a  number  of  periodicals,  agricultural,  literary, 
political,  and  religious,  and  read  extensively  until  the  last 
year  of  his  life.  He  wrote  considerably  for  some  agri- 
cultural papers,  especially  on  the  subject  of  bees.  In 
keeping  these  he  was  for  several  years  very  successful. 
He  was  identified  with  the  temperance,  social,  and  agri- 
cultural interests  of  the  county.  The  various  positions 
in  these  which  he  filled  have  been  elsewhere  mentioned. 
He  died  nt  Cedar  Lake,  October,  13,  1868,  wanting  only 
three  days  of  having  reached  the  age  of  74  years. 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  29 1 

Thirty  years  of  life  thus  spent,  when  a  region  is  new, 
by  one  so  active,  so  social,  so  thoroughly  educated,  fur- 
nished with  so  good  a  library,  so  solicitous  for  the  moral 
and  religious  welfare  of  others,  although  producing  no 
brilliant  results  in  the  great  world,  cannot  have  been 
spent  in  vain ;  but  will  leave  their  impress  on  society  to 
future  generations,  and  will  show  results  more  precious 
than  fame  or  wealth  in  the  great  hereafter.  He  who 
writes  on  mind  writes  on  that  which  will  not  die. 

The  four  who  have  thus  far  been  noticed  in  this  Chap- 
ter were  more  or  less  intimate  with  each  other  and  were 
all  on  very  friendly  and  sociable  terms.  Religiously  they 
were  different.  The  former  two  have  lived,  it  may  be, 
more  for  this  world.  They  have  gained  more  or  less  of 
wealth,  and  are  still  living  to  enjoy  it.  The  latter  two, 
both  active  and  prominent  members  of  the  Cedar  Lake 
Church,  very  sociable  and  pleasant  in  the  common  walks 
of  life,  not  shunning  public  or  official  duties,  and  dis- 
charging these  faithfully,  lived  more,  it  may  be,  for  the 
Great  Future.  They  amassed  not  much  of  what  the 
world  calls  wealth.  They  enjoyed  a  competency.  And 
they  have  both  gone  where  they  know  the  realities  of  the 
unseen. 

I  have  placed  these  four  first  as  being,  perhaps,  repre- 
sentative men. 

JUDGE    SAMUEL    TURXER. 

In  the  spring  of  1838  Samuel  Turner  and  family,  hav- 
ing removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  La  Porte  County, 
settled  in  Eagle  Creek  Township  near  the  bank  of 
Eagle  Creek.  Other,  of  the  early  settlers  there,  were  D. 
Sargent,   John   Moore,  A.   1).   McCord,   and    Mrs.   'Mary 


292  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Dilley,  all  of  whom  are  now  dead.  Samuel  Turner  was 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  that  part  of  the  county, 
was  soon  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  about  1842 
was  elected  Associate  Judge,  which  office  he  held  until 
his  death. 

For  several  years  there  was  no  cabinet  shop  nearer 
than  Valparaiso,  and,  having  learned  to  use  carpenter 
tools,  S.  Turner  was  called  on  to  make  all  the  coffins 
used  in  the  neighborhood,  frequently  taking  lumber  from 
the  chamber  floor  of  his  cabin  for  that  purpose,  and 
always  without  any  charge.  Thus  kind  and  obliging, 
respected  and  honored  in  the  county,  he  died  in  1847. 
His  wife  died  in  July,  1871,  being  87  years  of  age  ;  and 
the  aged  mother  and  grandmother,  who  lived  with  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Dilley,  died  about  January,  1855,  having 
attained  the  age  of  97  years. 

One  son,  Samuel  Turner,  Jr.,  marrying  a  daughter  of 
W.  G.  McGlashon,  of  Crown  Point,  died  of  a  lingering 
disease  in  1864;  and  another  son,  James  B.  Turner,  P^sq., 
of  Crown  Point,  died  August  14,  1866.  One  daughter, 
Miss  S.  P.  Turner,  still  lives  at  Eagle  Creek.  One  son, 
T.  J.  Turner,  has  been  a  prominent  politician  and  lawyer, 
since  leaving  this  county,  in  Freeport,  Illinois,  and  now 
in  the  City  of  Chicago.  The  third  of  the  survivors  of 
this  family  is  Judge  Turner,  of  Crown  Point. 

JUDGE    DAVID    TURNER. 

David  Turner  came  into  Eagle  Creek  Township  in  his 
youth,  as  a  member  of  his  father's  family.  His  school- 
boy days  were  spent  in  Pennsylvania.  He  entered  while 
quite  young  into  civil-official,  and  soon  into  political  life, 
being  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Eagle  Creek  when 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  .293 

his  father  became  Associate  Judge,  and  in  1849  he  was 
elected  Probate  Judge.  This  office  he  held  until  it  was 
abolished  in  185 1.  In  1854  he  was  elected  as  represen- 
tative in  the  State  Legislature,  and  in  1858  he  was  elected 
State  Senator. 

In  1862  he  was  appointed  by  President  Lincoln  United 
States  Assessor,  which  office  he  still  holds.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1866,  he  was  removed  from  office  by  President  John- 
son, but  the  Senate  failing  to  confirm  Johnson's  appointee, 
in  March,  1867,  he  was  reinstated.  Having  had  some 
experience  in  regard  to  financial  difficulties,  he  is  now 
acquiring  affluence  in  the  sunshine  of  popular  favor  and 
earthly  prosperity. 

A  large  and  estimable  faniily  are  gathered  around  him, 
and  at  his  hospitable  home  the  most  distinguished  visit- 
ors at  Crown  Point  find  a  courteous  welcome.  He  is 
an  exemplary  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church, 
a  man  of  firm  principle  and  undoubted  piety.  Such 
men  in  public  life  are  ever  blessings  to  community. 

JUDGE    H.    D.    PALMER,    M.  D. 

Dr.  Palmer,  a  graduate  of  Physicians'  and  Surgeons' 
College,  at  Fairfield,  Herkimer  County,  State  of  New 
York,  in  1834,  entered  Lake  in  the  winter  of  1836.  He 
settled  about  two  miles  west  of  Centreville  and  com- 
menced practice.  He  has  continued  in  practice,  also 
carrying  on  a  farm,  ever  since.  His  rides  extend  from 
Dyer  to  Hobart  and  Lake.  Had  the  most  practice  be- 
tween 1850  and  i860.  He  built  in  1841  the  first  frame 
house  in  that  part  of  the  county.  He  was  elected  Asso- 
ciate Judge  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  removal 
of  Judge  Wm.  B.  Crooks,  in  1838  ;  having  taken  his  seat 
in  January  of  that  year  as  County  Commissioner. 


294  LAKE    COUNTY. 

This  office  of  Associate  Judge,  he  held  with  Judge 
Clark,  and  afterward  with  Judge  S.  Turner,  for  about 
thirteen  years.  Twice  during  that  time  he  held  court  in 
the  absence  of  the  presiding  judge.  He  has  lately 
erected  quite  a  fine  residence,  and  is  enjoying  the  com- 
forts of  a  pleasant  home. 

J.    W.    DINWIDDIE. 

The  son  of  an  early  settler  who  made  a  claim  near  the 
edge  of  the  county,  J.  W.  Dinwiddie  was  a  young  man 
when  our  early  settlements  were  made.  He  was  born 
October  i,  1813.  The  family  records  date  back  for  sev- 
eral generations.  As  early  as  1835  or  1836,  J.  AV.  Din- 
widdie was  with  his  father  and  sister  at  Indian  Town. 
He  commenced  farming.  Found  it  unprofitable.  He 
sold  his  farm  and  went  to  Illinois  to  work  upon  the  canal. 
August  19,  1844,  he  was  married,  and  returned  to  Lake 
County  and  bought  in  the  fall  of  that  year  two  hundred 
acres  of  land.  He  lived  on  it  till  July,  1845,  and  then 
resumed  work  on  the  canal.  He  again  returned  to  this 
county  in  1847  and  went  into  business  at  Crown  Point. 
In  1852  he  returned  to  his  farm,  bought  more  land,  and 
commenced  farming  operations  on  an  extensive  scale. 
He  built,  while  Township  Trustee,  the  school  houses  at 
Plum  Grove,  Eagle  Creek,  and  on  the  prairie,  then  prob- 
ably the  three  best  in  the  county.  He  was  County  Com- 
missioner; was  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  energetic, 
and  prudent,  and  thorough  business  men  and  farmers  in 
the  county,  an  excellent  manager,  firm  in  principle  and 
successful  in  carrying  out  his  plans;  and  was  rapidly  ad- 
vancing in  the  accumulation  of  property,  when  sickness 
came  unexpectedly  upon  him.  and  then  death.     He  died 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  295 

April  12,  1861,  being  47  years  of  age.  His  death  was 
deeply  felt  in  the  community.  His  wife,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Din- 
widdie,  a  woman  of  rare  executive  ability,  took  the 
management  of  the  large  estate,  which  now  contains 
about  3,500  acres  of  land, — the  five  children  were  then 
young — and  she  has  succeeded  admirably  in  her  man- 
agement. She  has  also  carried  on  for  some  years  a 
Sabbath  School,  is  active  in  every  good  enterprise,  and 
has  exemplified  how  fully  a  true  woman  having  wealth, 
position,  intelligence,  piety,  and  talent,  can  carry  on 
business,  do  good,  and  be  at  the  same  time  unobtrusive, 
retiring,  refined,  and  womanly.  Her  children,  three  of 
them  now  grown  up,  have  nobly  aided  her  in  her  plans 
and  efforts.  In  1870  a  new  family  residence  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  some  ^2,500. 

Among  all  the  squatters  of  the  years  before  the  land 
sale,  no  one  succeeded  in  securing  such  a  choice  selec- 
tion of  land,  or  of  leaving  for  his  family  an  estate  so 
valuable  as  did  the  young  sojourner  at  Indian  Town. 
John  W.  Dinwiddie. 

He  has  left  three  sons  among  us  to  bear  his  name,  share 
the  results  of  his  efforts,  and  imitate  his  virtues. 

DAVID    BRYANT 

Came  to  Pleasant  Grove  in  1835.  His  wife  died  in 
March,  1836,  and  was  buried  on  Morgan  Prairie,  where 
also  Agnew,  who  perished  with  cold,  had  been  buried, 
no  ground  having  then  been  set  apart  in  that  portion  of 
the  county  for  the  repose  of  the  dead.  He  married 
again  December  2,  1837.  This  was  the  first  marriage 
ceremony,  so  far  as  records  show,  in  this  county.  The 
license  was  obtained  in  Valparaiso.  The  day  was  exces- 
sively cold. 


296  LAKE    COUNTY. 

In  the  spring  of  1838  he  went  to  Bureau  County,  Illi- 
nois, and  spent  some  years.  He  then  went  to  Missouri 
and  staid  a  few  years.  He  returned  to  Illinois.  Went 
back  to  Ohio  and  staid  five  years;  and  in  1853  returned 
to  this  county.  He  settled  at  the  "  Fisher  place."  In 
1854  he  brought  in  one  thousand  and  sixty-three  sheep. 
He  went  again  to  Illinois,  and  again  returned  here.  Has 
since  visited  back  and  forth.  He  now  resides  at  Eagle 
Creek  with  his  son-in-law,  Wm.  Fisher.  He  is  well-off; 
a  very  sociable,  friendly  man,  of  religious  principle ;  a 
church  member;  and  is  now  75  years  of  age.  He  is 
growing  feeble,  but  retains  the  use  of  his  mental  faculties. 

SIMEON    BRYANT 

Staid  about  a  year  in  Pleasant  Grove,  then  went  to  Indian 
Town.  There  he  has  ever  since  resided.  The  Indians 
had  corn  fields  on  his  claim,  or  rather,  he  laid  his  claim 
on  their  fields.  He  however  allowed  them  to  plant  corn 
on  the  land  after  he  had  fenced  it.  This  gratified  them. 
It  had  displeased  them  to  have  him  settle  on  their  fields^ 
but  he  was  so  fearless,  and  kind,  and  obliging,  that  he 
gained  their  good  will.  (See  Chapter  III).  He  is'now 
well  advanced  in  life  and  quite  feeble. 

SAMUEL    D.    BRYANT 

Settled  first  on  what  is  now  the  Jones'  place.  He  made 
his  claim  in  the  spring  of  1835.  He  afterwards  went  to 
Ohio,  from  which  State  the  Bryant  families  had  emi- 
grated, and  spent  a  few  years.  He  returned  here  and 
bought  where  he  now  resides,  south  of  South  East  Grove, 
in  1854.  He  is  now  82  years  of  age,  and  worked  this 
summer  binding  oats  in  the  harvest  field. 


SKETCHES    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS.  297 

There  are  several  descendants  of  these  Bryant  fami- 
lies in  Lake  and  Porter  Counties,  and  in  the  West.  They 
are  enterprising,  intelligent,  and  prosperous. 

M.    PEARCE 

Made  a  claim  in  about  1838.  He  married  in  1840  Miss 
Margaret  Dinwiddie.  In  1841  they  commenced  house- 
keeping in  a  double  log-cabin.  The  present  family 
mansion  was  erected  in  1853.  The  chief  attention  of  the 
owner  was  given  to  farming.  He  held  in  his  township 
the  offices  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  School  Trustee. 
He  died  April  4,  1861,  of  typhoid  pneumonia.  J.  W. 
Dinwiddie  staid  with  him  and  took  constant  care  for  a 
week,  and  went  home  and  was  taken  sick  with  the  same 
disease  and  died.  Thus  these  two  active  men,  in  the 
prime  of  life,  were  taken  from  one  neighborhood,  when 
our  country  was  plunging  into  the  fearful  scenes  of  the 
civil  war.  No  two  men  have  been  missed  more  from  any 
of  our  neighborhoods  than  were  these. 

M.  Pearce  also  left  three  sons.  The  oldest,  John 
Pearce,  is  now  engaged  in  quite  extensive  farming  ope- 
rations, and  is  one  of  the  very  promising  and  enterprising 
young  farmers  of  the  county.  In  September,  1867,  he 
married  Miss  Lizzie  V.  Foster,  of  Crown  Point. 

The  other  sons  are  yet  young. 

HON.    B.    WOODS. 

May  25,  1836,  Bartlett  Woods  left  London,  England. 
He  landed  at  New  York  and  came  to  Michigan  City  in 
August.  In  March,  1837,  he  made  a  claim  in  Lake 
County,  on  which  he  commenced  improvements  in  the 
spring  of  1838.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Sig- 
ler,   also  an   early  settler.     With   the    exception   of  two 


298  LAKE    COUNTY. 

years  spent  in  Chicago,  he  has  been  a  continuous  resi- 
dent on  his  farm.  He  holds  for  it,  as  a  claim,  one  of  the 
very  few  claim-entry  certificates  now  to  be  found.  For 
a  number  of  years,  being  intelligent,  talented,  and  a 
ready  speaker,  he  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  the  com- 
munity. He  held  for  two  terms  the  office  of  County 
Commissioner.  He  was  our  representative  at  Indianapo- 
lis in  the  State  Legislature  in  186 1  and  again  in  1865. 

For  the  last  three  years  he  has  been  President  of  the 
Agricultural  Society. 

DR.    J.    A.    WOOD 

Has  been  already  noticed  as  one  of  the  earliest  physi- 
cians practicing  in  this  region.  He  went  on  horseback, 
according  to  the  early  custom  when  roads  were  scarcely 
known.  He  had  a  fine  looking  Indian  or  French  pony, 
a  thick  set,  heavy  maned,  sagacious,  hardy  animal,  one  to 
delight  the  eye  of  a  boy ;  quite  different  in  appearance 
from  either  of  the  two  noted  Indian  ponies  at  Cedar 
Lake. 

In  one  of  his  rides  from  Porter  into  Lake  he  was  called 
into  the  vicinity  of  the  Cady  marsh.  It  lay  in  his  route. 
The  distance  round  was  considerable.  He  was  told 
white  man  had  never  crossed  it.  He  thought  if  Indian 
could  cross  it  on  a  pony  he  could.  He  ventured  and 
succeeded ;  but  he  bore  away  some  of  the  black  mud  of 
the  morass.  It  was  a  dangerous  ride.  His  was  a  nice 
pony  for  chasing  wolves. 

For  several  years  he  resided  on  the  east  side  of  Cedar 
Lake,  and  his  house  was  one  of  the  places  for  holding 
religious  meetings. 

He  was  appointed  with  J.  V.  Johns,  Anisi  L.  Ball,  and 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  299 

John  Sykes,  a  committee  to  report  on  Michigan  Central 
Road,  when  at  its  opening  a  free  ride  was  given  to  our 
citizens  from  Lake  to  Michigan  City. 

Having  been  familiar  with  the  diseases  of  this  region 
for  more  than  thirty  years,  he  has  an  experience  of  much 
benefit  in  his  present  practice. 

CHARLES    HAYWARD 

Settled,  in  1837,  a  little  east  of  the  place  where  now 
stands  the  Stone  Church.  Another  Hayward  family  also 
settled  near,  both  from  England  ;  and  other  English  fami- 
lies, Jonas  Rhodes,  the  brothers  Bartlett  and  Charles 
Woods,  the  Muzzall  families,  and  perhaps  others  from 
that  same  European  island,  settled  in  that  part  of  the 
county.  Prosperous  representatives  of  these  families  are 
now  living  in  the  county. 

Quite  a  number  of  English  families  have  at  different 
times  made  this  region  their  adopted  home. 

H.    YOUNG 

I 
Settled  on  the  Miller  place  at  Deep  River,  succeeding  A. 

Hopkins,    who   had    bought    Miller's    store.     Of   Miller 

himself  little  seems  to  be  now  known.     I  am  told  that 

his  wife  was  part  Indian,  that  he  had  sold  proj^erty  at 

Michigan  City  for  $80,000  in    gold  and  silver,  and  that 

he  started  his  store  and  mill  probably  in  1836.     His  mill 

sawed  one-half  of  a  log.     At  his  store   much  whisky,  as 

well   as   other   articles,   is  said  to   have  been  sold.     H. 

Young  sold  the  mill  irons  to  Dunstan,  opened  himself  a 

gun  shop,  and  kept  the  place  several  years.     The  road  to 

Hobart  now  crosses  by  the  site  of  this  old  mill  and  early 

store  and   shop,  and  here  in    the    spring-time,    in  high 

water,  the  river  appears  like  a  Southern  stream  that  has 


300  LAKE    COUNTY. 

overflowed  the  timbered  "bottoms."  Families  are  living 
near,  but  none  are  now  living  upon  this  spot,  and  one 
might  fancy  that  it  had  always  been  a  wild. 

SAMUEL    SIGLER 

Made  a  claim  near  Turkey  Creek.  His  log  cabin  is  still 
standing  on  the  first  sand  hill  north  of  the  Sykes  place. 
His  date  of  settlement  is  1837.  He  had  four  sons  and 
three  daughters.  One  of  the  daughters  married  Hon.  B. 
Woods,  another  married  Joseph   Mundell,  and  the  third 

one, — not    third    as    to    age  —  married  Walton,  on 

Twenty  Mile  Prairie.  Of  the  sons,  Samuel  is  a  merchant 
at  Wheeler,  Eli  and  Daniel  are  merchants  at  Hebron, 
and  Wm.  Sigler  is  a  merchant  at  Lowell.  The  father, 
Samuel  Sigler,  died  a  few  years  ago  at  Hebron.  The 
sons  have  been  for  several  years  prominent  business  men. 
Some  of  the  grand-children  are  now  in  manhood  and 
womanhood,  and  are  scattered  abroad  and  entering  for 
themselves  into  active  life. 

A.    L.    BALL 

Was  one  of  the  more  mature  men  who  was  active  and 
prominent  in  laying  the  foundations  of  our  political  and 
social  institutions.  He  came  from  the  State  of  New  York 
with  his  son,  John  Ball,  in  1836.  I  have  elsewhere  given 
his  date  of  settlement  1837,  but  it  can  be  inferred  safely 
that  he  came  in  1836.  In  March,  1837,  an  election  was 
held  at  his  house,  as  also  at  the  houses  of  Samuel  D. 
Bryant  and  R.  Eddy,  which  was  the  first  county  election, 
and  Amsi  L.  Ball  receiving  seventy-eight  votes  was 
elected  County  Commissioner  for  three  years.  This 
office  he  in  the  summer  resigned  to  run  at  the  August 
election   for  Representative.     He  received    the    vote  of 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  301 

Lake  but  not  of  Porter,  and  so  failed  to  secure  the  posi- 
tion. 

He  was  rather  tall  in  person,  a  fluent  speaker,  a  demo- 
crat of  those  days,  probably  aspiring,  and  capable  of 
holding  positions. 

Solon  Robinson  was  at  that  time  a  strong  Whig  —  no 
wonder  he  did  not  like  "  Tylerism  "  —  and  he  and  A.  L. 
Ball  were  politically  unfriendly.  Each  has  the  credit  of 
•defeating,  to  some  extent,  the  other's  political  aspirations. 
A.  L.  Ball  continued,  nevertheless,  to  be  an  influential, 
prominent  man,  but  he  did  not  remain  a  permanent  citi- 
zen. It  is  said  that  domestic  difficulties  drove  him  away 
from  his  New  York  home,  and  he  afterward,  like  a  wise 
man,  returned,  between  1840  and  1850,  the  year  I  have 
not  been  able  to  ascertain,  to  his  wife  and  his  New  York 
home. 

DUDLEY    MERRILL, 

Who  came  with  his  brother  William  in  1837,  bought  the 
first  claim  made  by  A.  L.  or  by  John  Ball,  which  was  sit- 
uated on  the  bank  of  Deep  River  south  of  "  Miller's 
mill."  He  afterwards  obtained  land  near  and  in  Centre- 
ville,  and  his  brother  William  erected  a  large  frame 
dwelling-house  on  the  edge  of  the  grove  opposite  the  In- 
dian burial-ground.  This  brother  died  some  years  ago. 
Dudley  Merrill  is  now  living  in  the  village  of  Centreville, 
or  Merrillville,  with  three  of  his  sons,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  care  of  his  hotel,  has  mostly  retired  .from 
active  business  life.  Two  of  his  sons  carry  on  the  store, 
one  of  them,  John  P.  Merrill,  being  the  Township  Trustee 
and  discharging  very  satisfactorily  its  duties,  in  his  rela- 
tions with  the  teachers  very  accommodating  and  pleasant. 


302  I.AKK    COUXIV. 

The  cheese  factory  and  farm,  west  of  tlie  village,  are 
now  carried  on  by  I-.  Merrill.  It  seems  pleasant  for  a 
father  to  be  able  thus  to  retire  from  })ressing  business 
cares  and  have  his  sons  around  him  to  take  up  the  labo- 
rious duties  of  life. 

WM.    N.    SVKKS. 

A  descendant  of  an  ancient  English  family,  the  members 
of  which  have  been  Quakers,  if  of  any  religious  profess- 
ion, since  the  days  of  Fox,  himself  a  native  of  New 
Jersey,  as  early  as  1836,  W.  N.  Sykes  is  found  as  a  promi- 
nent name  among  the  squatter  records. 

In  person  he  was  rather  large,  inclining  to  be  portly, 
of  fine  appearance,  neat  in  dress  and  person,  gentlemanly 
in  bearing,  intelligent,  and  possessing  a  native  refinement 
of  mind. 

He  was  the  first  County  Surveyor,  being  a])pointed  by 
the  Commissioners  in  May,  1837.  He  also  held  the 
office  of  County  Commissioner. 

He  never  married,  and  sometimes  boarded  away  from 
his  own  home. 

He  died  in  August,  1853,  and  his  dust  reposes  in  the 
Centreville  Cemetery. 

His  brother,  who  has  a  large  family,  now  resides  upon 
the  farm. 

JOHN    WOOD. 

Another  of  the  sons  of  Massachusetts,  coming  from 
the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  was  John  ^V' ood,  who  made 
a  claim  and  examined  this  region  in  1835.  Dr.  Ames,  of 
Michigan  City,  himself,  and  three  or  four  others,  spent  a 
night  in  the  cabin  of  Jesse  Pierce  on  the  bank  of  Tur- 
key Creek  during  that  tour  in  1835.     He  settled  in  1836, 


SKETCHKS    OF    EARLY    SF/J'TLKKS.  303 

leaving  Michigan  City  for  his  claim  on  Deep  River  July 
4th,  of  that  year.  He  found  that,  during  his  absence, 
(ien.  Tipton,  of  Fort  Wayne,  United  States  Senator,  had 
laid  a  float  upon  his  claim  in  the  name  of  an  Indian, 
Quashma.  The  land,  as  a  mill  seat,  was  not  properly 
subject  to  an  Indian  float ;  but  he  purchased  the  ([uarter 
section,  paying  for  it,  instead  of  ;$2oo,  the  sum  of  §1,000. 
He  has  now  in  his  possession  Quashma's  deed  and  sig- 
nature. 

He  erected  a  saw-mill  in  1837,  and  about  1838  com- 
pleted a  grist-mill,  the  only  one  for  some  years  in  botii 
Lake  and  Porter  Counties.  It  was  thronged  with  cus- 
tomers. 

Living  at  first  on  tlie  east  side  of  the  river,  in  a  few 
years  he  erected  more  substantial  buildings  on  the  west 
side ;  his  sons  grew  up  and  settled  around  him,  the  old- 
est now  owning  the  mill,  the  second  one  a  store,  a  third 
one  farming,  and  a  son-in-law  the  resident  physician  ;  a 
number  of  grand-children  now  nearly  grown  in  their 
various  homes  ;  himself  possessing  ample  means  ;  he  and 
the  wife  of  his  youth,  who  is  a  cousin  of  JNIrs.  Sarah  B. 
Judson,  and  a  noble  New  England  woman,  are  now 
spending  the  evening  of  their  days  amid  as  much  tran- 
<[uility  and  happiness  as  one  could  well  ask  for  in  our 
earthly  lot. 

They  have  seen  and  experienced  the  changes  of  these 
])ast  seven  and  thirty  years,  have  been  faithful  toilers, 
and  may  now  fittingly  rest  and  enjoy. 

JOHN     HACK 

Was  the  pioneer  of  the  Germans,  so  many  of  whom  from 
the  densely  ])opulated  districts  of  Prussia,  from   Hano- 


304  ■  LAKE    COUNTY. 

ver,  Wurtemburg,  and  the  late  small  principalities  which 
now  are  united  in  the  German  Empire,  have  opened 
farms  in  the  woodlands  and  have  made  their  homes  on 
our  prairies. 

Tall  and  dignified  in  person,  patriarchal  in  manner, 
clear  and  keen  in  intellect,  he  was  well  fitted  to  be  a 
leader  and  pioneer.  He  settled  with  ([uite  a  large  fam- 
ily, in  1837,  on  the  western  part  of  Prairie  West.  There 
was  then  an  abundance  of  room  around  them.  In  the 
summer  evenings  the  family  would  gather  around  an  out- 
of-doors  fire,  the  smoke  of  which  would  keep  off  the 
musquitoes,  and  sing  the  songs  of  their  native  Rhine 
region,  presenting  a  scene  at  once  picturesque  and  im- 
pressive. Having  shared  their  hospitalities  one  night  in 
the  summer  of  1838,  I  had  a  fine  opportunity  to  hear 
these  beautiful  evening  songs  of  "  the  father-land."  This 
family  knew  the  privations  of  pioneer  life.  In  common 
with  others  they  shared  the  experiences  of  going  to  mill. 
One  member  of  the  family,  M.  Hack,  was  gone  with 
horses  to  Gossett's  mill,  in  Porter  County,  nine  days. 
Other  families  soon  settled  near,  and  in  a  short  time  a 
chapel  was  erected,  was  consecrated,  and  regular  relig- 
ious services  were  held. 

J.  Hack  was  born  in  1787,  in  one  of  those  Rhine  pro- 
vinces that  passed  from  the  possession  of  France  into  the 
control  of  Prussia.  He  had  enlarged  views  of  govern- 
ment, and  looked  closely  into  the  genius  of  our  institu- 
tions. He  lived  to  see  a  great  change  in  Prairie  West 
and  over  this  whole  region,  and  died  in  1856. 

Two  of  his  sons  became  residents  in  Crown  Point. 
The  one,  M.  Hack,  who  kept  the  hotel,  died  a  few  years 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  305 

ago  ;  the  other,  J.  Hack,  now  carries  on  the  blacksmith 
and  wagon  shops.  He  is  now  the  oldest  resident  Ger- 
man, not  in  age,  but  in  citizenship,  in  the  county 

H.    SASSE,    SEN. 

In  the  summer  or  fall  of  1838,  Henry  Sasse,  Sen.,  the 
pioneer  of  the  Lutheran  Germans,  coming  from  Michi- 
gan with  a  small  family,  bought  the  Cox  claim  at  Cedar 
Lake,  also  a  Chase  claim.  He  came  with  some  means, 
and  like  him  who  has  just  been  mentioned,  he  was  a  man 
of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence  and  abilities.  After 
improving  his  farm  he  sold  to  the  Rasgen  family  and 
purchased  a  farm  over  West  Creek,  where  he  has  ever 
since  resided. 

He  has  made  three  visits  to  his  native  region,  the 
ancient  kingdom  of  Hanover,  crossing  the  Atlantic 
seven  times. 

He  is  now  advanced  in  life,  being  some  seventy  years 
of  age,  and  is  well  off  in  regard  to  property.  Death  has 
many  times  visited  his  household  and  he  is  left  almost 
alone.  His  oldest  son,  Henry  Sasse,  Jun.,  has  lived  for 
many  years  on  what  was  known  as  the  Farlow  farm,  on 
the  west  side  of  Cedar  Lake.  He  is  a  prosperous  farmer, 
in  the  prime  of  life,  and  one  of  our  truly  intelligent 
teachers. 

H.    VON    HOLLEN. 

In  the  same  year  of  1838,  and  at  about  the  same  time, 
H.  \'on  Hollen  also  came  to  Cedar  Lake.  He  obtained 
the  Taylor  and  Chase  claim,  about  which  an  arbitration 
liad  formerly  been  held,  and  settled  one-half  mile  north 
of  H.  Sasse.  He  was  then  a  young  housekeeper,  and 
brought  with  him  but  little  means.     Beina  also   intelli- 


3o6  T.AKt:    COUNT \. 

gent  and  enterprising,  he  began  to  accumulate  property. 
Like  a  number  of  otliers,  he  went  into  Illinois  and 
worked  on  the  canal  for  a  short  time.  He  bought  the 
noted  cranberry  marsh  not  far  from  his  claim.  This 
proved  to  be  an  excellent  investment.  Industrious  and 
economical  he  soon  accumulated  quite  rapidly,  and  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  ample  means.  He  and  his  wife 
are  still  residing  on  the  place  where  they  first  settled. 

LEWIS    HERLITZ, 

The  third  Lutheran  German,  soon  arrived  and  bought 
the  Nordyke  claim.  He  was  a  native  of  Pyrmont,  a  part 
of  the  principality  of  Waldeck,  and  was  noted  for  his 
urbanity  of  manners.  He  built  a  nice  residence  on  his 
woodland  place,  near  the  head  of  Cedar  Lake,  his  sons 
and  daughters  grew  up  around  him,  and  in  September, 
1869,  being  about  sixty-four  years  of  age,  he  died.  Both 
L.  Herlitz  and  H.  Sasse  were  more  advanced  in  life  when 
they  first  settled  than  was  H.  Von  Hollen,  judging  from 
the  appearance.  They  were  all  probably  born  about 
1802  or  1804. 

JOSEPH    SCHMAL, 

One  of  the  four  Germans  who  settled  on  I'rairie  West  in 
183S  died  many  years  ago. 

JOSEPH    SCHMAL, 

One  of  his  sons,  is  now  a  resident  farmer  at  Brunswick. 

ADAM    SCH^LAL, 

Another  son,  farming  on  Prairie  West  for  several  years, 
having  been  elected  County  Treasurer,  removed  to  Crown 
Point  in  1866.  He  held  the  office  for  two  terms,  and 
still  resides  in  town,  holding  for  one  year  the  office  of 
Town  Trustee. 


SKETCHES    OF    EARLV    SETTLERS.  307 

WELLINGTON    A.    CLARK. 

Among  the  enterj^rising  young  men  attracted  by  the 
wild  lands  of  the  West  was  W.  A.  Clark,  a  native  of  On- 
tario County,  New  York,  a  clerk  in  a  wholesale  grocery 
store  at  Albany.  His  brother,  S.  D.  Clark,  was  doing 
business  in  Ohio,  and  was  a  thriving  merchant,  possess- 
ing considerable  capital.  The  Albany  clerk  made  a  visit 
to  his  merchant  brother  in  1838,  and  through  him 
obtained  a  position  as  Supercargo  on  a  schooner  sent 
from  Cleveland,  Ohio,  to  Chicago,  around  the  lakes. 
Few  vessels  at  that  time  made  regular  lake  trips.  Dis- 
posing of  his  cargo  at  Chicago,  W.  A.  Clark,  then  about 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  visited  our  county  and  ar- 
ranged with  Adin  Sanger,  a  relative,  to  hold  for  him  a 
claim.  He  returned  to  his  brother  in  Ohio  and  reported 
his  sales  at  Chicago.  In  the  spring  of  1839,  before  the 
land  sale  at  I.a  Porte,  Sanford  D.  Clark  came  out  on 
horseback,  and  found  some  of  our  settlers  about  star*:ing 
for  the  land  sale.  He  furnished  Adin  Sanger  with 
money  to  enter  for  \V.  A.  Clark  three  hundred  and  eighty- 
four  acres,  which  was  more  than  a  squatter  could 
preempt.  He  also,  having  a  good  supply  of  funds, 
loaned  to  J.  H.  Sanger,  to  E.  Cleveland,  and  to  A.  Mc- 
Donald, money  for  entering  their  claims  ;  and  thus  saved 
them  from  the  necessity  of  borrowing,  as  so  many  set- 
tlers did,  at  I>a  Porte. 

In  the  summer  or  fall  of  1839  A.  Sanger  died,  and  W. 
A.  Clark  came  out  from  Ohio  with  a  buggy  and  com- 
menced, in  the  fall  of  1839,  improving  his  West  Creek 
farm.  He  was  then  beginning  life  for  himself,  with 
health,  industry,  perseverence,  and  energy,  for  his  ca})i- 


308  LAKE    COUNTY. 

tal.  Having  ended  his  clerkship  he  begun  to  be  a: 
farmer. 

A  family  from  Michigan  City,  who  had  been  on  a 
claim  near  Deep  River  in  1835  or  1836,  but  who  had 
returned  to  the  civilization  and  [jrivileges  of  that  city,, 
settled  northwest  of  Cedar  Lake  on  the  Green  place,  in 
1842.  With  this  family,  among  the  members  of  which 
were  two  young  ladies  who  had  just  entered  womanhood, 
W.  A.  Clark  became  acquainted.  In  December,  1843,. 
he  married  one  of  these  sisters,  Miss  Mary  C.  Hackley. 
The  marriage  ceremony  was  performed  by  Judge  Wil- 
kinson, who,  uniting  both  pleasure  and  profit  with  busi- 
ness, took  his  trusty  rifle  along  and  on  the  way,  and  near 
the  home  of  the  bride,  killed  a  fine  deer.  The  Judge 
was  a  true  pioneer. 

In  about  1846  W.  A.  Clark  removed  to  Crown  Point. 
He  was  now  acting  as  an  agent  for  Bragg  in  disposing  of 
patent  medicine,  and  soon  became  agent  for  Ayer,  in  the 
same  line,  and  traveled  over  the  State  and  made  money. 
At  Crown  Point  he  built  a  good  dwelling-house  ;  returned 
to  his  farm  and  built  an  excellent  farm-house  ;  spent 
again  a  few  years,  including  1864  and  1865,  at  Crown 
Point;  and  once  more  returned  to  the  West  Creek  home. 
In  1867  he  erected  and  started  the  first  cheese  factory  in 
the  county  ;  kept,  some  of  the  time,  two  hundred  cows  ; 
became  owner  of  a  thousand  acres  north  of  Crown  Point'^ 
and  made  improvements  at  the  home  place.  In  1869  or 
1870  he  disposed  of  the  thousand  acres  near  Crown 
Point  and  now  holds  his  West  Creek  lands,  in  amount 
thirteen  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  Involved  in  business 
year  by  year,  he  has  made  money,  and  is  now  worth  some 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  309. 

$50,000,  being  among  the  wealthiest  of  the  citizens  of 
the  county.  But  few  families  hold  property  representing 
more  than  that  amount.  And  this  is  the  result  of  thirty- 
four  years  toil  in  farming,  in  other  business,  in  dairying, 
and  includes  the  rise  in  value  of  land.  Such  a  result 
ought  to  satisfy  a  settler  in  the  West.  It  is  true,  men  in 
commercial  life,  and  in  speculations  in  the  meantime^ 
may  have  made  their  millions,  and  others  have  lost  as 
much,  and  more  rapidly.  "  Let  the  .  golden  stream  be 
quick  and  violent,"  said  Ortugul ;  but  when  he  looked 
again  the  mountain  torrent  was  dry.  Broad  acres  of  rich 
lands  are  safer  possessions  than  ships  on  the  ocean  with 
costly  cargoes,  or  deposits  in  banks,  or  goods  on  the 
shelves,  or  "  stocks  "  in  the  market. 

W.  A.  Clark  has  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  At  his 
home  his  friends  find  a  cordial  welcome  and  an  abund- 
ance of  the  comforts  of  life.  As  he  is  yet  apparently  in 
the  prime  of  life,  although  some  fifty-seven  years  of  age,. 
and  so  well  known  in  the  county,  I  need  not  mention  his 
excellent  traits  of  disposition  nor  analyze  and  record  the 
qualities  which  have  contributed  so  largely  to  his  success. 
It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  his  early  capital,  although  well 
used,  has  not  become  exhausted.  A  business  talent  has 
doubtless  controlled.  Men,  to  quite  an  extent,  can  be- 
come what  they  will,  if  they  pay  the  price. 

D.    R.    MF.RRIS 

First  settled  near  the  Lone  Tree  north  of  Plum  (rrove,  in 
1838,  after  traveling  seventeen  days  with  a  team  of  oxen 
from  Ohio. 

He  sufi"ered  severely  with  tlie  rheumatism.  For  some 
five  months   scarcely   slept.     An    Indian  calling   in  one 


JIO  LAKE    COUNIV. 

day,  in  broken  English  and  by  signs,  inquired  about  his 
sufferings  and  prescribed  a  remedy.  It  was  tried  and 
proved  very  successful. 

In  1840  he  bought  at  Pleasant  Orove;  raised  a  hewed 
log  house  in  1 84 1.  A  frame  house  was  erected  in  this 
settlement  in  1840  by  A.  Clark,  and  a  frame  barn  by 
John  S.  Evans  in  about  1S43.  D.  R.  Merris  was  by  trade 
a  carpenter.  He  built  the  Methodist  Church  in  tlie 
Cirove  in  185 1  ;  cost,  $500. 

A  few  years  ago  he  sold  his  property  in  the  Grove  and 
removed  to  a  farm  on  the  old  Indian-Town  limits,  a  short 
distance  south  of  Hebron,  where  he  still  resides,  pleas- 
antly situated,  with  abundant  home  comforts  around 
him. 

EPHRAIM    CLEVELAND 

Has  been  named  among  the  early  settlers  at  Pleasant 
Grove.  He  was  one  of  the  substantial  citizens.  He  was 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Methodist  Class  Leader  at  the 
Grove  for  several  years  before  his  death.  He  died  July 
13,  1845,  while  yet  in  the  midst  of  an  active  and  useful 
life. 

His  son,  T.  Cleveland,  is  now  a  lawyer  at  Crown  Point, 
and  also  proprietor  and  editor  of  the  Crown  Point  Her- 
ald. 

JUDGE    R.    WILKIXSOX. 

As  a  member  of  that  first  party  that  came  from  the 
Wabash  region  and  selected  claims  in  1834,  R.  Wilkin- 
son's name  and  date  of  settlement  in  1835  have  been 
already  given,  and  some  of  his  experiences  will  be  found 
recorded  among  the  incidents.  But  little  therefore  need 
be  mentioned  here.     In  1837,  at  the  first  August  election, 


SKKTCHES  OF  EARLV  SETTLERS.  31I 

lie  was  elected  first  Probate  Judge  in  Lake  county.  This 
office  he  held  for  several  years.  In  about  1849  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Missouri.  One  son,  John  15. 
Wilkinson,  returned  at  the  time  of  the  civil  war,  and  has 
since  then  resided  in  Lowell.  He  is  in  the  service  of  the 
United  States  as  mail-carrier  between  Lowell  and  Crown 
Point. 

RUFUS    HILI, 

Became  a  resident  in  Pleasant  Grove  about  the  year  1839. 
He  has  one  of  the  largest  families  in  the  county.  Six 
sons  are  living  who  are  men.  Welcome,  William,  John, 
Charles,  Martin,  and  Richard  Hill,  and  several  younger 
ones.  He  has  had  six  daughters,  not  counting  any 
among  his  young  children.  He  is  now  about  eighty 
years  of  age,  attends  to  his  aftairs,  and  seems  to  be 
quite  a  hale  and  active  man. 

HKXRV    WEL1,S, 

A  native  of  Massachusetts,  has  been  named  as  entering 
this  county  with  Luman  A.  Fowler,  on  the  day  after 
Solon  Robinson  first  pitched  his  tent  on  this  soil.  Sheriff 
of  the  county  by  commission  at  its  organization,  he  served 
out  the  term  of  L.  A.  Fowler,  the  first  elected  Sheriff, 
and  also  the  term  of  J.  V.  Johns,  the  second  elected 
Sheriff,  and  was  then  himself  elected  and  held  the  office 
eight  years.  He  was  appointed  to  the  same  office  to 
complete  the  term  of  R.  T.  Tozier,  who  resigned.  He 
was  also  elected  County  Treasurer  and  filled  that  office 
eight  years.  He  was  the  third  Swamp  Land  Commis- 
sioner. Probably  no  man  in  the  county  lias  passed  more 
years  here  in  official  life. 

For  the  past  few  years   he   has   been   somewhat   feeble 


312  l.AKE    COUNTY. 

and  has  retired  from  public  and  active  life.  He  still 
retains  the  use  of  his  mental  faculties  and  is  about  seventy- 
two  years  of  age.  The  best  authority  which  I  can 
obtain  fixes  his  age  as  above,  although  it  has  been  placed 
at  eighty-two. 

A  large  number  of  the  early  settlers  were  born  about 
the  year  1800.     Very  few  much  before  that  year. 

Four  sisters  of  H.  Wells  have  resided  among  us,  Mrs. 
R.  Eddy,  Mrs.  Olive  Eddy,  Mrs.  L.  Gillingham,  and  Mrs. 
Sanford.  The  last  one  named  is  still  living  in  Crown 
Point.  His  daughters  are  Mrs.  A.  Clark,  Mrs.  John  Lu- 
ther, and  Mrs.  S.  R.  Pratt.  His  two  sons,  R.  H.  and 
Homer  Wells  are  now  dealers  in  agricultural  implements 
in  Crown  Point. 

CAPT.    JOSEPH    P.    SMITH. 

Coming  from  the  City  of  New  York  in  1836,  being 
then  about  thirty  years  of  age,  J.  P.  Smith  found  a  place 
for  the  exercise  of  his  qualifications  and  tastes,  even 
among  the  squatters.  He  and  J.  V.  Johns,  who  came 
from  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  perhaps  in  the  same  year, 
or  earlier,  have  the  credit  of  having  possessed  the  best 
counting-house  education  of  any  who  have  ever  settled 
in  our  county. 

He  held  for  many  years  the  office  of  County  Clerk. 
He  also  opened  a  store  and  did  business  a  number  of 
years.  Among  his  clerks  were  some  of  our  present  promi- 
nent business  men,  Wm.  Krimbill,  H.  S.  Holton,  and 
Alfred  Fry.  He  commenced  farming  on  the  east  side  of 
School  Grove  and  built  the  house  now  owned  by  J. 
Fisher,  living  on  the  farm  some  eleven  years.  His  love 
for   military  drill  and  his  Mexican   campaign    have  been 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  313 

mentioned.  For  a  New  York  City  military  captain  and 
an  officer  in  the  army,  his  death  was  a  singular  and  sad 
one.  In  September,  i86r,  he  went  to  the  western  fron- 
tier and  entered  again  upon  a  new  settler's  life  on  the 
Platte  River.  February  5,  1872,  he  was  in  the  woods 
chopping  with  two  boys  and  a  hired  man,  when  the  In- 
dians came  upon  them  and  shot  them  all  dead  with 
arrows.  These  were  the  first  victims  in  the  Indian  mas- 
sacres of  1862.  Thus  he  who  had  trained  men  for  dress 
parade  and  for  civilized  warfare,  who  had  been  exposed 
to  the  dangers  of  strife  in  Mexico,  fell  on  his  country's 
soil,  while  engaged  in  peaceful  labor,  like  pioneer  settlers 
one  hundred  years  ago,  by  the  noiseless  weapons  of 
American  savages. 

RUSSELL    EDDY 

Was  born  in  Pittstown,  Rensselaer  County,  New  York, 
April  23,  1787.  He  was  the  son  of  Gen.  Gilbert  Eddy, 
who  was  in  command  of  a  part  of  the  New  York  troops 
in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  himself  a  paymaster  at  that 
time  in  the  army.  He  was  afterward  a  merchant  in 
Troy,  married  Miss  Ruth  Ann  Wells,  of  ^Massachusetts, 
removed  to  Michigan  City  in  1836,  and  in  1S37  became 
a  resident  at  Crown  Point. 

His  two  daughters,  Eliza  and  Ruth  Ann,  married  and 
died  young.  The  former  left  a  daughter,  Juliet  Town- 
send,  who  spent  some  time  here  on  a  visit  during  her 
girlhood,  and  who  now  resides  with  her  husband  in  Wash- 
ington City.  His  only  son,  Russell  A.  Eddy,  is  now  a 
resident  in  Crown  Point.  His  wife  died  in  1859.  In 
1861  he  married  Miss  Abby  M.  Kimball,  of  New  Jersey. 
He  died  on  Sunday,  July  i,  1871,  being  84  years   of  age. 


314  LAKE    COrXJV. 

'I'he  obituary    notice  in    tlie    Register  closes   witl:   these 
words:     "Thus    another   of    the    old    settlers    of    Lake 
County  has  passed  av\'ay.     His  lifewor.k  has  ended,     fie 
has  gone  where  earthly  distinctions  are  nothing.     Of  him 
as  of  others,  we  may  now  say  : 

'  No  furllier  scuk  liis  jiierils  to  disclose, 

Or  draw  his  fi^aillies  from  their  dread  al)ode; 
There  tliey  alike  in  trembling  hope  rejiose, 
The  bosom  of  liis  Father  and  his  God.'  " 

RICHARD    FANSHER. 

A  member  of  the  first  ex])loring  party  who  selected 
claims  in  1834,  as  already  recorded  ;  losing  a  bundle  of 
clothing,  which  the  Indians  found,  and  which  they  de- 
clined to  restore,  and,  after  meeting  them  in  the  West 
Creek  woods,  obtaining  the  value  from  them  by  selling 
them  well  watered  whisky  for  furs;  losing  his  claim  after- 
ward by  an  Indian  float  being  laid  on  Section  17,  and  no 
opportunity  offering  to  make  its  value  out  of  Indian  trajj- 
]jer  or  Indian  trader;  R.  Fansher  lived  for  a  season  on 
his  first  claim  on  the  bank  of  the  little  lake  which  bears 
his  name,  and  has  since  1835  remained  a  citizen  near  or 
within  the  town  of  Crown  Point. 

In  those  early  days,  before  tem]:)erance  societies  had 
reached  the  outskirts  of  civilization,  a  large  portion  of 
the  first  squatters  thought  it  needful  to  have  with  them, 
for  cases  of  emergency,  a  little  whisky,  or  some  other 
form  of  fire-water.  On  the  east  side  of  Cedar  Lake,  the 
families  being  engaged  in  fishing  and  mill-building,  and 
being  in  the  water  considerable,  it  was  thought  needful 
to  use  some  stimulating  drink,  and  the  more  thoughtful 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  315 

descendants  of  those  families  are  satisfied  that  too  much 
was  often  used.  At  man)'  of  the  trading  points,  as  else- 
where stated,  whisky,  perhaps  well  diluted,  was  sold  to 
the  Indians  for  cranberries  and  fur.  Some  years  after- 
wards, when  the  Lake  County  Temperance  Society  was 
organized,  and  prominent  men  of  the  county  were  mem- 
bers, a  committee,  it  is  said,  was  appointed  to  call  on  a 
certain  dealer,  now  a  prominent  and  well  known  citizen, 
whose  name  need  not  be  recorded,  and  requested  him  to 
discontinue  the  traffic.  "Oh,"  said  he,  "  we  are  coming 
to  the  "cold  water  rapidly.  What  they  drink  now  is 
tJin-e-ijiiarters  water.''''  That  such  a  traffic  was  lucrative 
will  not  be  questioned.  I  return  from  this  digression 
into  which  the  mention  of  the  Indian  incident  has  led. 

R.  Fansher  is  now  about  73  years  of  age.  He  is  (pite 
active  and  vigorous,  enjoying  a  good  degree  of  health, 
doing  considerable  work  in  gardening.  His  son  died  in 
childhood.  Three  of  his  daughters,  ]Mrs.  Nicholson,  Mrs. 
S.  1).  Clark,  and  !Mrs.  Clinghan,  reside  in  Crown  I'oint. 

JUIX;]',    WM.    CL.VRK. 

Judge  Clark  has  been  named  as  one  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers at  Crown  Point,  and  in  these  records  (juite  a  full 
view  has  been  given  of  the  ])art  he  took  in  our  first  years 
of  toil  and  privations.  It  is  only  needful  to  add  here, 
that  he  was  elected  Associate  Judge  in  1S37,  which  office 
he  held  for  several  years,  that  he  spent  one  year  between 
March,  1840,  and  March,  1841,  at  South  East  Crove,  and 
then  settled  two  miles  east  of  town,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  constitu- 
tion and  good  mental  powers.  He  lived  to  be  81  years 
of  age.  During  the  last  year  of  his  life  he  became  feeble. 
He  died  July  6,  1869. 


3l6  LAKK  COUNTY. 

\V.  A.  \V.  AND  J.  W.  HOLTOX 

Were  associated  intimately  with  S.  Robinson  and  Judge 
Clark  in  the  settlements  of  1835.  Younger  men  by  sev- 
eral years,  one  of  them  having  a  wife  and  young  child, 
the  other  one  not  married,  they  have  passed  through  the 
changes  of  these  seven  and  thirty  years  and  are  not  yet 
old.  They  are  both  now  residing  on  farms  about  six 
miles  north-east  of  Crown  Point.  W.  A.  W.  Holton  was 
the  first  Recorder  of  the  county.  He  removed  to  Mis- 
souri and  spent  a  few  years,  but  again  returned  to  Lake 
County.  He  is  a  man  of  much  intelligence,  and  the  fam- 
ily are  connected  with  learned  and  cultivated  men.  J. 
W.  Holton  possesses  (juite  fully  some  of  the  Holton 
eccentricities.  One  of  these  is,  to  wear  a  hat  as  little 
as  possible.  He  has  been  a  continuous  resident  since 
1835.  His  aged  mother  resides  with  him.  His  family 
genealogy  will  be  elsewhere  given. 

J,    S.    HOLTON, 

A  member  of  a  different  family,  came  to  this  county  in 
1844.  Although  not  an  early  settler,  as  a  business  man, 
a  merchant,  and  an  office-holder,  he  has  been  for  many 
years  a  prominent  man  in  the  county.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  wealthy  citizens  of  Crown  Point,  and  although  now 
not  in  active  business  is  yet  ifi  the  prime  of  life. 

PELEG    S.    MASON. 

Like  W.  N.  Sykes,  Peleg  S.  Mason  never  married. 
Unlike  him  he  led  an  almost  hermit-like  life.  In  his 
younger  days  he  had  passed  through  many  adventures, 
had  been  among  the  islands  of  the  South  Sea,  had  caught 
seals,  had  spent  years  of  life  in  wandering.  Reaching 
this  county,  perhaps  as  early  as   1S35  or   1836,  he  was  a 


SKETCHES    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS.  317 

candidate  for  Probate  Judge,  at  the  election  in  1837. 
He  was  chosen  as  Register  of  Claims  to  succeed  Solon 
Robinson,  and  held  the  office  until  the  registering  of 
claims  ceased.  He  was  in  some  respects  eccentric.  He 
was  then  in  middle  age,  and  it  may  be  reasonably  sup- 
posed had  good  cause  for  being  the  lone  and  sad-hearted 
man  that  he  seemed.  He  was  owner  of  some  land  in 
Georgia,  and  made  trips  on  foot,  across  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee,  to  look  after  his  interest  there.  A  trip  occu- 
pied some  six  weeks.  His  residence  was  near  the  Outlet 
and  not  far  from  the  present  bridge.  He  often  visited  at 
Lewis  Warriner's,  at  the  post  office.  One  winter,  about 
1847,  he  went  over  daily,  as  usual,  to  read  the  news.  The 
weather  was  cold.  One  day  he  failed  to  come.  The 
next  day  he  failed,  and  I..  Warriner  went  over  to  his 
house  to  see  if  anything  had  happened  to  the  lone  occu- 
pant. He  found  him  out  of  fuel  and  down  in  his  cellar, 
suffering  with  the  cold,  and  trying  in  vain  to  find  warmth. 
L.  Warriner  conveyed  him  to  his  own  home,  and  gave 
him  care  and  comfort,  but  in  some  two  days  he  died. 
Thus  a  lonely  man  perished,  one  of  whose  inner  life  few 
knew  anything. 

Drawing  near  one  morning,  rather  early,  to  a  neigh- 
bor's dwelling,  he  heard  the  voice  of  singing  and  then 
the  morning  prayer,  and  it  affected  him  deeply,  recalling 
memories  of  a  childhood  and  youth  when  he  was  neither 
care-worn  nor  lone. 

He  wrote  once  a  touching  reply  to  an  invitation  from 
the  Cedar  Lake  Belles-Lettres  to  deliver  an  address. 

The  mystery  of  his  life  I  am  unable  to  solve,  although 
aware  of  one  its  later  dark  passages,  but  I  have  recorded 
24 


3l8  l.AKF.    COUNIV. 

as  one  of  the  names  that  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  in  our 
history,  the  name  of  our  last  Register  of  Claims,  Peleg 
vS.  Mason. 

WM.    ROCK\VF,IJ>, 

In  October,  1837,  settled  on  Prairie  West.  He  was 
elected  County  Commissioner  about  1840,  and  held  the 
ofifice  a  number  of  years.  He  was  a  faithful  officer.  He 
died  in  1853  or  1854.  His  two  sons,  W.  B.  and  T.  Rock- 
well, are  well  known  citizens  at  Crown  Point. 

RICHARD    CHURCH 

Settled  on  the  same  prairie,  and  near  the  same  place,  still 
earlier  in  1837.  His  claim  was  made  in  1836  and,  on  the 
authority  of  the  Claim  Register,  the  family  settlement 
has  been  placed  in  1836.  But  other  evidence  is  in  favor 
of  1837.  R.  Church  was  the  father  of  seven  sons.  Dar- 
ling, Austin,  Alonzo,  John,  Charles,  Munson,  and  Eli ; 
and  of  four  daughters.  Most  of  these  were  men  and 
women  in  1837.  A  son-in-law,  Leonard  Cutler,  made  a 
claim  also  in  this  same  neighborhood,  and  broke  up  that 
season  one  hundred  acres  of  prairie,  the  largest  breaking 
then  in  the  county.  The  work  was  done  by  G.  Parkin- 
son, of  South  East  Grove.  The  Church  and  Cutler  fam- 
ilies were  among  the  constituent  members  of  <the  Cedar 
Lake  Church.     Richard  Church  died  many  years  ago. 

Darling  Church's  wife  was  a  daughter  of  W.  Rockwell. 
The  wife  of  C.  L.  Templeton,  of  Cedar  Creek,  is  another 
daughter.  These  families  came  from  the  State  of  Xew 
York.  Nearly  all  of  the  large  Church  and  Cutler  families 
are  yet  living,  but  no  member  is  remaining  in  tliis  county. 
Some  are  in  Michigan,  some  in  Illinois,  some  in  the  far 
West,  some  in  AVisconsin.     All  are  intelligent,  enterpris- 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  319 

ing,  and  virtuous;  and  many  are  active  and  excellent 
church  members  in  their  own  communities.  They  have 
been  sadly  missed  here.  Mrs.  Alonzo  Cutler,  the  third 
daughter  of  R.  Church,  resides  in  La  Porte  County.  Her 
husband  is  wealthy  and  her  sons  enterprising. 

Other  members  of  this  large  family  are  referred  to  in 
this  volume. 

JUDi;E    r.ENJAMlX    .MCCARTY. 

Succeeding  Dr.  Lilly  on  the  east  side  of  Cedar  Lake, 
having  given  a  county  seat  to  Porter  County,  he  was  an 
active  competitor  for  the  location  of  the  county  seat  in 
Lake  County  with  Solon  Robinson  and  George  Earle.  A 
village  had  been  commenced  by  Dr.  Lilly  on  the  north- 
east declivity  of  the  lake  bank  by  a  hotel  and  a  store. 
This,  for  a  few  years,  was  a  central  point  where  neigh- 
bors gathered,  where  religious  meetings  were  held,  and 
out  from  which  influences  of  some  kind  reached  the  sur- 
rounding settlers. 

B.  McCarty  had  a  large  family,  consisting  of  liis  wife, 
two  daughters,  and  six  sons.  These  sons  were  Enoch 
Smiley,  Wm.  Pleasant,  Franklin,  F.  Asbury,  IMorgan,  and 
Jonathan.  E.  S.  ]\IcCarty,  probably  in  1S40,  erected  a 
brick  kiln,  and  thus  supplied  the  settlers  with  material 
for  chimneys.  The  family  kept  some  of  the  best  horses 
then  in  the  county,  and  the  sons,  two  of  whom  were 
young  men,  gave  more  attention  to  dress  and  looks  than 
most  of  the  settlers'  sons.  They  had  enjoyed  more  ad- 
vantages than  some  others,  and  were  naturally  asi)iring. 
In  a  few  years  the  family  moved  to  tlie  prairie  and 
opened  a  farm  in  what  is  now  called  'J'inkerville,  where 
the  Hill  family  have  resided  for  many   past   years.      The 


320  LAKE    COUNTY. 

two  older  sons  soon  commenced  teaching  and  married. 
The  oldest  one,  E.  S.  McCarty,  married  a  lady  from 
White  Post;  the  second,  W.  P.  McCarty,  married  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  G.  Taylor,  in  Pleasant  Grove.  The 
older  daughter  married  Israel  Taylor,  son  of  Adonijah 
Taylor,  who  lived  at  the  Outlet ;  the  younger  daughter 
married  George  Belshaw.  For  several  years  the  family 
remained  on  the  farm  ;  the  father,  B.  McCarty,  had  the 
title  of  Judge,  but  I  am  unable  to  learn  its  origin. 

He  was  not  on  the  strong  side  politically,  in  this 
county,  and  so  was  not  elected  to  the  highest  offices  of 
honor  or  trust.  He  had,  however,  represented  the  two 
counties  of  Porter  and  Lake  before  becoming  a  citizen  of 
Lake. 

Selling  his  prairie  farm,  at  length,  he  removed  to  Iowa 
with  some  of  his  sons.  The  others  and  one  daughter, 
Mrs.  George  Belshaw,  went  to  the  Pacific  coast.  Frank- 
lin McCarty  alone  remained  at  Tinkerville  on  a  farm. 

EBENEZER    SAXTON, 

In  whose  door  yard  is  the  old  Indian  dancing-ground, 
and  in  whose  garden  is  the  Pottowatomie  burial  place  of 
the  McGwinn  village,  is  another  of  the  early  settlers  yet 
remaining,  one  whose  life  has  been  marked  by  many 
struggles,  and  one  who  has  had  more  than  an  ordinary 
share  of  trials  and  conflicts. 

Originally  a  native  of  Vermont,  he  came  to  this  county 
from  Canada,  at  the  time  of  the  Patriot  War  in  1837. 
(The  Sherman  family  and  M.  M.  Mills  came  from  the 
same  region  at  about  the  same  time.)  Having  sold  his 
Canadian  farm  on  a  credit,  he  started  with  his  family 
in  a  wagon  drawn  by  oxen,  and  traveled   four  hundred 


SKETCHES  01"  EARLY  SETTLERS.  32 1 

miles  to  Detroit.  He  at  length  entered  Lake  County, 
crossed  Deep  River  at  Liverpool  on  a  ferry  boat.  Eight 
families,  it  appears,  were  on  board,  with  ox  teams  and 
loading.  The  boat  sunk.  The  families  were  taken  over. 
The  boat  was  relieved  of  some  of  the  weight,  raised, 
caulked,  and  the  oxen  brought  over.  E.  Saxton  had  now 
five  dollars  in  gold.  Coming  to  Turkey  Creek,  the  team 
for  the  first  time  on  the  route,  stuck  fast  in  the  mud.  He 
gave  two  dollars  to  a  man  near  by  for  helping  them  out. 
He  reached  Wiggins"  cabin  and  entered,  and  rested,  and 
finally  located. 

A  few  of  his  early  experiences  are  illustrative  of  new 
settlement  ways  and  trials. 

He  bought  on  Door  Prairie  ten  bushels  of  corn  for 
twenty  days'  work.  Corn  was  two  dollars  a  bushel,  and 
work  was  one  dollar  a  day.  He  gave  a  man  one  half  of 
this  to  take  it  to  mill,  and  obtained  therefore  for  the  work 
of  twenty  days  the  meal  of  five  bushels  of  corn.  He 
went  to  Door  Prairie  and  rented  some  land  of  one  Dr. 
Wilkinson,  for  which  he  was  to  pay  two  dollars  an  acre. 
The  doctor  delayed  to  write  out  the  contract,  the  wheat 
grew  and  promised  a  large  yield.  The  doctor  denied  the 
contract,  and  as  it  was  only  verbal  and  no  witness  to  it 
Avas  at  hand,  it  could  not  be  proved.  E.  Saxton  con- 
sulted a  lawyer.  The  advice  given  was  to  take  two-thirds 
of  the  crop  and  leave  one-third  for  the  owner  of  the  land, 
according  to  the  established  custom.  This  he  did,  and 
locked  up  ninety  bushels  in  a  barn,  and  took  twenty 
bushels  to  mill.  When  near  the  mill  his  load  upset  into 
the  water.  The  miller  furnished  him  with  one  hundred 
j)ounds  of  flour.     He  left  the  wheat  to  dry  and  returned 


322  LAKE    COUNTY. 

home.  The  doctor,  the  owner  of  the  land,  during  his  ab- 
sence, not  satisfied  with  the  landlord's  third,  obtained  a 
landlord's  warrant,  opened  the  barn  and  had  the  ninety 
bushels  sold  at  ten  cents  a  bushel.  All  therefore  that 
E.  Saxton  obtained  for  his  labor,  and  for  more  than  a 
hundred  bushels  of  wheat  rightfully  his  own,  was  the 
hundred  pounds  of  flour.  The  result  had  been  too  dis- 
heartening for  him  to  return  to  the  mill.  The  landlord 
had  the  power  and  there  was  no  redress. 

One  other  effort  in  obtaining  provisions  met  with  a  dif- 
ferent result.  In  March,  1838,  he  bought,  of  a  man  from 
Michigan  City  going  to  Crown  Point,  fifteen  hundred 
pounds  of  flour.  He  was  to  pay  in  team  work  at  two 
dollars  a  day.  The  work  was  to  be  done  at  Michigan 
City.  He  went  with  his  team ;  did  one-half  of  the 
amount  of  work,  and  was  ready  to  do  the  other  half;  then 
the  man  discharged  him,  as  he  wanted  no  more  work. 
Some  time  afterward  the  Michigan  City  man  entered  suit 
at  Liverpool  for  the  remainder  that  was  due  to  be  paid 
in  money.  A  capias  came  for  E.  Saxton  to  appear  at 
Liverpool.  He  took  Wiggins  along  behind  him  on  his 
horse.  Passing  out  of  Turkey  Creek,  Wiggins  unfortu- 
nately slipped  off  into  the  water.  He  did  not  drown,  and 
remounting,  proceeded.  The  trial  came  on,  the  bargain 
was  proved,  and  the  Justice  decided  fifty  cents  in  favor 
of  the  plaintiff.  So  the  other  half  of  the  work  for  the 
fifteen  hundred  pounds  of  flour  was  never  done.  The 
suit  disposed  of  the  contract. 

E.  Saxton  lost  his  wheat  stacks  one  year  by  fire.  This 
involved  him  and  others  in  a  lengthy  law  case. 

He  is  now  quite  advanced  in  years,  has  passed  through 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  323 

many  vicissitudes,  has  evidently  possessed  a  strong  con- 
stitution, and  enjoys  a  vigorous  old  age. 

He  once  crossed  the  prairie  between  his  home  and 
Crown  Point,  to  bring  Solon  Robinson  across  to  Lake 
C.  H.,  in  the  short  time  of  twenty  minutes.  It  was  in 
the  winter,  the  prairie  was  crusted  over  with  ice,  no  fences 
were  in  the  way,  and  his  horses  were  fleet. 

JAMES    ADAMS. 

In  the  year  1835  James  Adams  passed  through  Liver- 
pool on  his  way  to  Chicago  or  Fort  Dearborn.  He 
returned  in  the  winter  to  Michigan.  In  January,  1S37, 
during  the  Patriot's  War  in  Canada,  he  was  sent  by  Gov. 
r^Iason  and  Gen.  Brady,  from  Detroit  to  Chicago,  as  mes- 
senger extraordinary  to  obtain  soldiers  from  Fort  Dear- 
born to  aid  in  the  defense  of  Detroit.  There  was,  it  may 
be  remembered,  a  stage  route  then  between  these  two 
places.  The  sleighing  was  at  this  time  good.  A\'armly 
clad,  furnished  by  Gen.  Brady  with  a  pair  of  good  fur 
gloves,  receiving  instructions  to  make  the  distance  in 
twenty-four  hours  if  possible,  he  left  Detroit  at  four  P.  M. 
in  a  sleigh  drawn  by  a  good  stage  horse.  At  each  stop- 
ping place,  the  distance  between  being  about  twelve  or 
fifteen  miles,  he  gave  the  attending  hostler  a  few  mo- 
ments for  changing  his  horse,  requiring  tlie  best  horse  in 
the  stable,  and  dashed  on.  At  eight  P.  M.  of  the  next 
day  he  entered  Chicago;  thus  making  the  distance  in 
twenty-eight  hours,  probably  the  shortest  time  in  which 
a  man  ever  passed  over  that  route  drawn  by  horse  power. 
He  delivered  his  instructions  to  Captain  Jamison,  who 
chartered  the  stage  coaches  and  sent  the  soldiers  imme- 
diately to  Detroit.  J.  Adams  was  allowed  to  remain  off 
duty  for  four  weeks. 


324  LAKE    COUNTY. 

In  1840  he  was  on  the  stage  route  from  Michigan  City 
to  Chicago.  In  1842  he  bought  in  Lake  County.  In  Oc- 
tober he  became  a  resident,  and  continues  to  reside  on 
his  well  cultivated  farm  between  Merrillville  and  Hobart. 
He  has  an  excellent  well  of  water.  There  is  a  strip  run- 
ning across  that  neighborhood,  about  three  miles  long  and 
eighty  rods  wide,  where  good  water  can  be  obtained  at  a 
depth  of  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  feet.  On  each  side  of 
this  narrow  strip  it  is  needful  to  go  about  forty  feet  to 
obtain  water. 

J.  Adams  is  very  sociable  and  hospitable,  and  the 
friend  who  finds  himself  there  at  night-fall  is  sure  of  a 
cordial  reception,  and  will  find  well  furnished  rooms  and 
abundance  of  home  comforts. 

MAJOR    C.    FARWELL, 

The  son  of  an  early  settler  on  West  Creek,  himself  a 
member  of  that  party  who  spent  July  4,  1833,  in  the  un- 
broken solitude  of  what  is  now  the  county  seat  of  Lake, 
from  whom  I  learn  that  several  families  were  in  that 
company,  that  they  duly  celebrated  that  anniversary  day, 
and  remained  in  the  locality  about  a  week, —  left  his 
father's  place  on  West  Creek,  settled  at  School  Grove, 
erected  a  blacksmith's  shop,  and  made  plows.  In  1841 
he  removed  to  Crown  Point,  built  a  hewed  log  shop,  in 
1842  put  up  a  frame  building,  stocked  plows,  and  made 
wagons.  He  also  made  a  few  buggies  and  some  cutters. 
He  sold  out  about  1851  to  Dr.  Farrington,  went  to  Hick- 
ory Creek,  remained  some  three  years,  went  to  Iowa  City, 
rambled  for  some  five  years  over  Colorado,  Idaho,  and 
Montana,  and  is  now  residing  at  Carthage,  Missouri. 
He  probably  should  be  called  our  first  plow,  wagon,  and 
buggy  manufacturer. 


SKETCHES    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS.  325 

DON    CARLOS    FARWELL, 

Another  member  of  the  same  family,  who  went  westward 
many  years  ago,  now  resides  in  Virginia  City,  Montana 
Territory. 

JOHN    BROWN 

Came  to  South  East  Grove  in  1840.  His  brother,  who 
has  been  elsewhere  mentioned,  came  in  the  same  year ;  and 
another  brother,  Wm.  Brown,  still  later.  John  Brown  is 
one  of  the  few  men  in  Lake  County  who  has  lived  unmar- 
ried. For  some  twenty  years  his  home  has  been  with  the 
Crawford  family.  He  owns  a  rich  farm,  is  well-off,  is 
open-hearted,  sociable,  and  intelligent.  He  has  passed 
the  meridian  of  life. 

CYRUS    M.    MASON 

Became  a  resident  here  in  1840.  The  Farmer  family,  into 
which  he  afterward  married,  became  residents  in  1838. 
Mrs.  Mason  is  therefore  one  of  our  early  inhabitants.  C. 
M.  Mason  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  two  first  elders  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  its  organization  in  1843  or  1844, 
and  has  ever  since  been  identified  with  its  interests.  He 
resides  a  short  distance  east  of  town,  has  a  good  farm,^ 
and  seems  to  be  in  a  situation  for  spending  a  pleasant 
evening  of  life,  as  he,  like  the  others,  who  "  have  borne 
the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day  "  in  building  foundations, 
looks  forward  to  an  enduring  home. 

AMOS    HORNOR, 

A  young  man  when  the  members  of  his  father's  family,  in 
1834  and  1835,  made  choice  selections  of  wild  land  and 
laid  claim  to  woodland  and  prairie  west  of  Cedar  Lake, 
is  the  only  one  left  in  the  county  as  representative  of 
those  first  claimants.     He  came   to   Crown  Point  about 


326  LAKE    COUXTV. 

1844,  married  Miss  Mary  White,  who  died  April  17,  1845, 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  He  married  again  in  1857, 
made  his  home  at  Ross,  and  is  one  of  the  principal  citi- 
zens of  that  village. 

His  brother,  Henry  Hornor,  died  May  8,  1847,  being 
twenty-seven  years  of  age. 

The  other  members  of  that  large  family  returned  to  the 
Wabash  region. 

DR.    H.    PETTIBONE 

Is  the  oldest  resident  pliysician  in  Crown  Point.  He  lo- 
cated here  in  1847.  (In  that  year,  not  in  1846,  as  given 
in  the  table  of  physicians,  Dr.  A.  Stone  left  Crown  Point). 
Dr.  Pettibone  has  acquired  an  extensive  practice.  He 
married  Mrs.  H.  S.  Pelton,  formerly  Miss  Eliza  Hackley, 
and  has  built  a  nice  residence  on  the  place  once  occupied 
by  H.  S.  Pelton  and  by  Milo  Robinson.  The  grove  near 
his  house  is  supposed  to  be  the  sj^iot  where  the  United 
States  surveyors  camped  in  the  summer  of  1834. 

Although  not  himself  one  of  the  earliest  settlers,  his  fam- 
ily connection  places  him  among  them.  His  father  is  a 
retired  physician,  from  the  East,  who  has  been  living  for 
several  years  in  town  with  his  sons,  the  doctor  and  D.  K. 
Pettibone,  and  his  own  son  Henry  Pettibone,  having  spent 
some  time  at  Hanover  College,  is  now  at  home,  a  prom- 
ising medical  student.  His  older  daughter  is  a  member 
of  the  Seminary  at  Oxford.  The  younger  daughter 
attends  the  home  schools.  Dr.  Pettibone  approves  of 
educating  children.  His  means  are  ample,  his  real  estate 
interests  being  considerable  and  his  practice  still  large. 

In  1869  thirteen  physicians  of  the  county  formed  an 
agreement  to  establish  uniform  rates,  adopting  a  "  Fee-bill 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  327 

of  the  practicing  physicians  of  Lake  County,  Indiana." 
Into  this  agreement  Dr.  Pettibone  declined  to  enter,  ad- 
hering to  his  own  more  moderate  charges. 

LU>rAX    A.    FOWLER 

Was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers.  His  name  has  been  sev- 
eral times  recorded.  He  seems  to  have  been  the  most 
popular  man  in  the  county  for  sheriff,  having  been  elected 
for  five  terms  of  that  office.  He  spent,  after  his  first  set- 
tlement here,  some  time  in  California.  He  returned 
here,  again  held  office,  and  died  in   April,  1870. 

MILO    ROBINSOX, 

A  brother  of  Solon  Robinson,  who  engaged  with  him  in 
merchandising  and  who  kept  the  first  i)ublic  house,  died, 
as  elsewhere  mentioned,  in  1839. 

H.    S.    PE]-TO.\, 

A  successor  in  location  and  business  to  those  abcive 
named,  was  a  successful  merchant  and  rapidly  accumu- 
lating, when  he  suddenly  died  in  1847. 
w.  (1.  Mc(;r.Asnox, 
Whose  date  among  us  is  1846,  has  been  connected  witli 
the  mercantile  interests  of  Crown  Point  during  some 
twenty  years.  He  was  first  a  clerk  for  Wm.  AUton,  on 
the  east  side  of  the  stpiare,  in  1850;  then  for  Turner  iSc 
Bissel,  successors  to  J.  W.  Dinwiddie,  on  the  west  side, 
for  six  months;  then  for  D.  Turner,  Turner  &  Cramer, 
and  for  Strait,  during  the  next  four  years.  He  was  then 
clerk  in  the  store  of  A.  H.  !\Ierton,  successor  to  Turner 
«S:  Cramer,  for  one  year  and  a  half;  and  leaving  Merton 
was  clerk  for  John  G.  Hoffman,  on  the  south  side,  during 
the  next  year  and  a  half.  He  now,  in  1858,  went  into 
business  for  himself  on  tlie  east  side,  in  tlie  buildina:  now 


^2S  LAKE    COUNTY. 

occupied  by  Goulding  and  Son,  and  soon  removed  to  the 
south  side.  In  i860  he  purchased  a  stock  of  goods  in 
Boston  and  occupied  the  building  now  occupied  by  H. 
P.  Swartz's  drug  store.  He  here  received  as  a  partner 
M.  L.  Barber.  He  removed  to  the  south  side  once  more, 
kept  the  post  office  and  did  the  express  business,  after 
the  completion  of  the  railroad  ;  bought  out  M.  L.  Bar- 
ber, and  finally  closed  business  and  retired  to  a  farm 
some  four  miles  south  of  town  in  1867.  In  187 1  he  re- 
turned to  Crown  Point  and  resumed  the  occupation  of 
trade.  This  he  is  still  continuing,  in  the  building  for- 
merly occupied  by  H.  Farmer  on  the  south  side  of  the 
public  square.  His  twenty  years'  experience  has  given 
him  a  large  acquaintance  with  those  who  buy  and  sell  in 
Crown  Point. 

HON.    MARTIN    WOOD, 

Although  not  an  early  settler,  has  furnished  materials 
which  will  readily  work  in  here. 

April  4,  1848,  he  came  among  us.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  the  law.  He  also  taught  in  the  public  school. 
He  married  Miss  S.  Taylor,  of  Pleasant  Grove,  August 
26, 1849.  He  settled  on  a  suburban  farm  of  fifty-five  acres 
in  1855.  Ten  acres  are  now  enclosed  with  ornamental 
trees.  He  has  a  large  orchard,  containing  besides  apples, 
pears,  quinces,  and  peaches.  He  has  a  variety  of  small 
fruit  and  much  ornamental  shrubbery.  He  has  some 
twenty  varieties  or  more  of  ornamental  trees,  rare  varie- 
ties and  a  large  amount  of  evergreens,  and  has  devoted 
time  and  expense  to  adorning  his  place.  His  evergreens 
number  about  eight  hundred.  They  include  arbor  vitoe, 
red  cedar,  Norway  spruce,  Scotch  pine,  white  and  yellow 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  329 

pine,  silver  spruce,  Austrian  pine,  Weymouth  pine,  Sibe- 
rian arbor  vitas,  balsam  fir,  and  juniper.  He  has  just 
erected  a  new  dwelling-house,  is  having  a  large  law  prac- 
tice, and  this  fall,  for  the  second  term,  has  been  elected 
a  member  of  the  State  Legislature. 

MAJOR    E.    GRIFFIX 

Is  our  next  oldest  resident  lawyer.  His  date  of  settle- 
ment is  1857.  He  was  gaining  position  rapidly  in  his 
profession,  and  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  he  entered 
the  army.  He  received  the  position  of  pay-master,  which 
gave  him  the  title  of  Major.  Returning  to  Crown  Point 
he  soon  obtained  a  very  lucrative  position  in  locating  and 
managing  the  Vincennes,  Danville,  and  Chicago  railroad. 
He  was  now  afflicted  with  disease,  and  returned  to  his 
home,  where  he  spent  many  weary  months,  and  for  some 
time  was  not  expected  to  mingle  again  in  the  business 
affairs  of  life.  He  did  at  length  recover  some  degree  of 
health,  and  although  not  able  as  formerly  to  engage  in 
forensic  arguments,  is  now  resuming,  to  some  extent, 
the  practice  of  the  law.  He  has,  associated  with  him  in 
business,  a  young  and  promising  lawyer,  a  late  graduate 
■of  Michigan  University,  J.  W.  Youche. 

He  has  commenced  the  erection  of  a  large  and  costly 
dwelling  house.  He  has  been  a  large  owner  in  Railroad 
Addition,  and  has  laid  out  himself  an  addition  to  Crown 
Point. 


T  E  A  C  H  E  R  S . 

O.   H.   SPKNXER 

Came  to  Lake  County  in  1S4S.     He  has  lived  ever  since 
near  or  in  Hobart.      He  taught  his    first   school   in   1852, 


330  LAKE    COUXJV. 

when  near  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  has  taught  in  this 
and  in  Porter  County,  near  the  line,  forty-seven  terms. 
His  wife  has  taught  in  the  same  region,  twenty-seven 
terms.     Surely  a  good  teacher's  record. 

REV.    H.    WASOX, 

A  native  of  Massachusetts,  for  many  years  a  resident  pas- 
tor at  Vevay,  Indiana,  became  the  first  pastor  of  the  Lake 
Prairie  Church  in  1856.  He  has  ever  since  resided  on 
Lake  Prairie,  is  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm,  has  been 
President  of  the  Sabbath  School  Convention  and  Agri- 
cultural Society,  and  in  1867  represented  the  county  in 
the  State  Legislature.  13oth  he  and  his  wife,  (who  is  a 
woman  of  sterling  qualities,  an  excellent  pastor's  wife,  a 
good  singer),  have  been  successful  teachers.  Their  elder 
daughter  graduated  at  Oxford  recently,  and  the  younger 
is  now  a  student  at  that  seminary.  Their  son,  attending 
the  Wabash^  College  for  a  season,  is  now  devoting  his 
energies  to  the  cultivation  of  the  farm.  Such  families 
are  very  valuable  in  a  community.  Such  peaceful,  lov- 
ing. Christian  homes,  of  comfort  and  abundance,  make 
us  think  what  earth  and  home  might  be. 
Some  one  once  wrote. 

"  Holy  and  fervent  love  1  liad  earth  but  rest 
P'or  thee  and  thine,  this  world  were  all  too  fair." 


MELVIN    A.    HAESTEl). 

I  come  again  to  a  business  man,  to  one  whose  name  is 
written  in  large  characters  at  Lowell.  So  near  as  I  can 
ascertain,  in  1845  he  settled  on  a  farm  at  the  south  end 
of  Lake  Prairie.  He  went  to  California  when  the  gold 
discoveries  were  made  known.     He  returned  with  means, 


I 

SKETCHES    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS.  331 

and  commenced  a  mill  and  improvements  at  Lowell.  He 
laid  out  a  town.  A  business  centre  was  formed  and 
grew  quite  rapidly.  He  drew  the  Pleasant  Grove  village 
prospect  and  interests  to  his  mill  seat  and  its  surround- 
ings. He  laid  out  money  faster  than  it  came  in.  Thus 
he  became  financially  somewhat  involved. 

In  1857  he  sold  the  Lowell  mill  property  to  Sigler,  Has- 
kins,  and  Scritchfield,  and  went  to  Southern  Illinois  and 
then  to  California.  Returning  with  quite  ample  means 
in  1864,  he  bought  back  the  Lowell  mill,  bought  the  Mc- 
Carty  mill,  and  was  also  the  owner  of  the  Foley  mill, 
thus  having  the  exclusive  control  of  all  the  mill  j)rop- 
erty  south  of  Crown  Point.  He  began  to  improve  Cedar 
Lake,  to  make  use  of  it  as  a  reservoir  of  water  for  sum- 
mer and  autumn  drought.  As  by  keeping  the  water  up 
in  the  spring  some  of  the  low  lands,  meadow  and  marsh, 
south  of  Cedar  Lake  would  be  flooded  longer  than  usual, 
the  owners  of  these  lands  raised  objections  to  his  im- 
provements. Quite  a  lengthy  and  expensive  law  suit  was 
the  result,  terminated  at  length  by  the  rights  of  the  land- 
holders being  defined  and  secured. 

Continuing  to  spend  money  raiiidly,  after  erecting  as 
trustee,  the  Lowell  School  liouse,  and  building  with 
others,  the  brick  factor}-,  he  disposed  once  more  of  all 
his  Lowell  interests,  and  returned  to  the  Pacific  coast  to 
resume  the  business  of  accumulation.  The  order  ut  his 
life  seems  to  have  been  to  accumulate  there  and  to  ex- 
pend here.  One  more  ready  and  lavish  in  expending  has 
not  dwelt  among  us,  and  no  one  therefore,  in  ])roportion 
to  his  means, —  and  these  have  been  ([uite  ample  —  has 
done  more  in  aiding  useful  material,  and  also  moral  and 
religious  interests,  than  M.  .\.  Halsted. 


332  LAKE    COUNTY. 

JOHN    KROST 

Is  one  of  our  citizens  who,  by  means  of  talent,  and  intel- 
ligence, and  effort,  has  become  prominent  in  the  county. 
In  April,  1853,  he  became  a  resident,  first  as  clerk  in  the 
store  of  Sanders,  at  Plobart,  for  a  year,  then  as  clerk  in 
the  store  of  Hale  and  Kenney,  at  Merrillville,  for  about 
six  years,  and  then,  for  the  next  two  years,  a  farmer.  In 
1862  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer,  and  held  the  office 
till  1867.  In  1868  he  was  elected  auditor,  and  is  now, 
1872,  in  the  second  term  of  that  office.  He  is  accommo- 
dating, courteous,  and  gentlemanly;  and  has  a  pleasant 
home  on  Main  Street,  enjoying  with  his  family  the  advan- 
tages of  position,  comforts,  and  refinement.  His  three 
sons,  Frederick,  Joseph,  and  John,  are  distinguished 
among  the  boys  at  Crown  Point  for  their  politeness;  and 
if  they  continue  to  practice  their  present  qualities  they 
will  be  quite  sure  to  unfold  into  a  noble  type  of  man- 
liood. 

.  ZERAH    F.    SUMMERS, 

A  son  of  Benjamin  Summers,  of  Ohio,  came  to  Crown 
Point  in  November,  1854.  He  became  County  Surveyor 
about  1856.  In  1859  he  was  elected  County  Clerk,  and 
held  that  office  until  1867.  He  married  a  daughter  of 
Ambrose  S.  Thomas,  of  New  York.  In  1865  he  erected 
a  warehouse  at  the  depot  and  commenced  buying  grain. 
He  purchased  the  warehouse  occupied  by  M.  L.  Barber, 
erected  a  grain  building  at  Cassville,  and  has  shipped 
from  the  three  houses  during  these  five  years,  a  large 
quantity  of  grain. 

He  was  engaged  several   months  as  civil   engineer  in 
laying  out  the  Vincennes,  Danville  and  Chicago  railroad. 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  ;^;^;^ 

He  is  a  good  engineer,  an  excellent  business  man,  sharing 
largely  in  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens  throughout 
the  county. 

JAMES    H.    LUTHER, 

AVho  in  1833  settled  in  La  Porte  County,  and  married  a 
Lake  County  girl,  Miss  P.  A.  Flint,  in  1840,  became  a 
resident  here  in  1849.  He  kept  the  hotel,  now  the  Rock- 
well House,  from  1852  to  1854,  having  married,  as  a  sec- 
ond wife,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Mills.  Li  1852  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  i860  he  was  elected  County 
Auditor  and  held  the  office  for  two  terms.  He  discharged 
the  duties  of  that  office  with  great  fidelity.  He  has  also 
held  the  offices  of  Township  Assessor  and  of  School  Di- 
rector. He  is  one  of  the  Crown  Point  capitalists. 
Whether  a  lineal  descendant  or  not  of  Martin  Luther  the 
Reformer,  he  has  not  been  able  yet  fully  to  establish  ;  but 
he  is  strongly  in  favor  of  social  reforms,  and  is  liberal  in 
his  views  in  regard  to  religious  teachings.  He  possesses 
excellent  qualities  as  a  citizen,  a  neighbor,  and  a  friend, 
and  is  deservedly  held  in  high  esteem  by  those  who  share 
his  friendship  and  confidence. 

MRS.    MARL-VH    ROBINSON. 

I  make  room  for  the  names  of  a  few  representative 
women  in  this  Chapter  of  Sketches,  but  have  records 
concerning  only  a  few.  The  following  extracts  are  taken 
from  the  Crown  Point  Register  of  ^L'^rch  7,  1872  : 

"Mrs.  Robinson  was  born  November  16,  1799,  near 
Philadelphia,  in  which  city  her  early  life  was  spent.  She 
was  married  to  Solon  Robinson  in  Cincinnati  on  the  12th 
of  May,  1828,  and  after  a  few  years  removed  with  him  to 
Madison,  Indiana,  subsequently   to   Rock  Creek,  in  Jen- 


334  LAKE    COUNTY. 

nings  County,  and  in  1834  slie  came  with  her  husband, 
an  assistant,  and  two  small  children,  beyond  the  then 
borders  of  civilization,  to  this  extreme  northwest  corner 
of  Indiana.  They  journeyed  hence  by  the  slow  and  meas- 
ured tread  of  oxen,  camping  out  nights,  and  cooking 
their  own  meals  each  day.  Tliey  found  here  nothing 
but  the  rude  wigwams  of  the  red  man  ;  "  and  Mrs.  Rob- 
inson saw  their  log  cabin  rise,  "  watching  its  progress 
with  peculiar  interest,  as  the  little  kingdom  which  she 
was  soon  to  enter  as  queen.  Ah  !  those  happy  days  of 
privation,  and  struggles,  and  hardships,  when  the  woman 
of  such  indomitable  energy  and  perseverance  is  permit- 
ted to  work  side  by  side,  hand  in  hand,  with  her  co-worker, 
to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  future  home  of  plenty  and 
comfort,  where,  surrounded  by  her  family,  she  expects  to 
glide  softly  down  the  decline  of  life,  enjoying  the  reward 
of  her  faithful  labors  !  But  alas  !  in  this  case,  a  hope  so 
cruelly  blighted.  All  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life  were 
hers  to  encounter,  and  all  the  privations  as  well  as  all  the 
indescribable  terrors  one  experiences  when  settling  among 
only  savages."  Often,  when  she  was  alone  with  her  chil- 
dren, the  Indians  would  call  into  her  cabin,  and  at  first 
she  was  quite  startled  by  some  of  their  actions.  They 
never,  however,  offered  to  do  any  real  harm. 

"  Thus  commenced  Mrs.  Robinson's  life  in  this  place 
—  a  life  of  toil  and  hardship,  which  has  continued  such 
until  within  the  past  few  years.     ***** 

"  In  1852  her  desertion  by  her  husband,  leaving  her 
with  the  care  of  her  four  children,  at  an  age  when  a 
father's  influence  was  most  needed,  left  her  worse  than 
widowed.     Yet  through   the  twenty   remaining  years  of 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.         335 

her  life,  in  which  griefs  have  multiplied,  having  buried 
both  her  sons  in  early  manhood,  she  has  nevertheless 
maintained  her  characteristic  cheerfulness,  ever  closing 
her  heart  upon  her  own  sorrows  but  opening  it  always  to 
the  wants  and  griefs  of  others.  The  poor  have  always 
blessed  her  for  her  charities.  The  sick  have  been  cheered 
and  comforted  by  her  care  and  sympathy.  Sabbath 
Schools  and  benevolent  societies  have  never  had  their 
solicitations  refused,  and  churches  have  shared  alike  in 
her  generosity. 

"  She  was  truly  a  remarkable  woman  ;  possessed  of  a 
remarkable  degree  of  efficiency  and  executive  ability  ; 
companionable  alike  to  old  and  young ;  always  cheerful 
and  vivacious,  she  w^as  always  welcomed  into  any  circle  ; 
and  never  at  enmity  with  any  person  in  the  place  during 
all  these  forty  years." 

She  died  February  28,  1S72,  at  the  residence  of  her 
son-in-law,  Frank  S.  Bedell.  Her  tvvo  daughters,  Mrs.  J. 
S.  Strait,  of  ^Minnesota,  and  Mrs.  1..  G.  Bedell,  were  with 
her  during  her  last  days. 

"She  welcomed  death,  and  her  life  went  out  sweetly, 
peacefully,  with  a  sustaining  faith  in  (}od." 

>(RS.    H.     HOLTON 

Has  been  mentioned  as  the  first  teacher  whose  name  is 
on  record  here.  She  also  was  one  of  the  pioneer  women 
in  the  country,  coming  in  February,  '835.  She  is  still 
living  near  Crown  Point  with  her  son,  J.  A.  W.  Holton, 
being  almost  four-score  and  ten  years  old. 

MRS.    JUDdE     CLARK, 

Settling  at  the  same  time,  died  many  years  ago. 


;^^6  LAKE    COUNTY. 

MRS.    L.    A.    FOWLER, 

Whose  husband  was  for  many  years  so  prominent  in  offi- 
cial life,  is  yet  living  in  a  pleasant  residence  in  the  north- 
west part  of  town. 

MRS.    J.    p.    SMITH, 

Is  also  yet  living,  and  spends  part  of  her  time  in  the 
West  and  a  part  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Keily,  in  Crown 
Point. 

MRS.   R.   FANCHER  AND  MRS.  HENRY  WELLS, 

Also  both  died  several  years  ago. 

MRS.    RUSSELL    EDDY, 

Still  another  of  the  first  settlers  in  Crown  Point,  a  woman 
of  great  industry,  energy,  and  hospitality,  a  very  active 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  also  died  a  number 
of  years  ago.  She  was,  so  far  as  is  known,  the  first  Sun- 
day School  teacher  in  Lake  County,  and  as  such  her 
name  is  here  recorded  for  honorable  remembrance.  She 
was  a  member  of  a  large  Massachusetts  family,  and  at 
that  time,  before  any  Presbyterian  or  Baptist  Church  had 
been  organized,  she  was  holding  a  letter  of  dismission 
from  the  Baptist  Church  at  Troy,  New  York.  The  first 
annual  report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Lake  County  Sun- 
day School  Convention,  contains  this  record  :  "  Hers  is 
the  first  name  in  the  Sabbath  Schools  of  our  county.  Her 
school  was  commenced  probably  in  1837,  four  years  after 
the  first  school  held  in  Chicago.  It  was  not  called  a 
Sunday  School  on  account  of  the  opposition  to  religion 
all  around  her,  but  was  a  gathering  of  tlie  children  to 
study  the  Scriptures." 

MRS.   LUCY    TAYLOR, 

Wife    of  Adonijah    Taylor,    of    East    Cedar    Lake,   and 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  337 

mother  of  a  large  family  of  children,  an  estimable  woman, 
an  affectionate  wife  and  mother,  making  home  pleasant 
by  her  cheerfulness  and  life,  was  born  in  Vermont,  Au- 
gust 12,  1792.  She  was  one  of  the  first  four  or  five 
women  making  homes  for  their  husbands  and  children  on 
the  east  side  of  the  lake.  She  was  baptized  by  Elder 
Thomas  Hunt  in  1850,  and  became  a  member  of  the  Ce- 
dar Lake  Church.  She  was  the  last  but  one  of  all  the 
early  matrons  in  that  part  of  the  county,  and  died  Decem- 
ber 10,  1869,  being  seventy-seven  years  of  age. 

MRS.   J.   A.   H.   BALL 

Has  been  already  mentioned  as  one  of  the  first  teachers. 
She  is  the  last  survivor,  in  this  region,  of  the  early  set- 
tlers around  Cedar  Lake,  who  were  then  in  or  near  the 
prime  of  life.  The  daughter  and  grand-daughter  of  phy- 
sicians who  attained  considerable  success  in  their  pro- 
fession, and  who  had  practiced  for  long  years  in  the  same 
town  and  resided  on  the  same  spot,  she  either  inherited 
or  had  acquired  skill  and  inclination  for  the  practice  of 
medicine.  Bringing  from  her  father's  home  a  well  filled 
medicine  chest,  lancets,  tooth-pulling  instruments,  apoth- 
ecaries' scales  and  weights,  with  the  knowledge  of  their 
uses,  she  found  these  all  extremely  useful  to  her  own  fam- 
ily and  to  her  neighbors  amid  the  prevailing  sickness  of 
1838  and  the  wants  and  accidents  of  many  later  years. 
Her  education  in  the  best  schools  of  the  city  of  Hart- 
ford just  when  Mrs.  Sigourney  retired  from  the  position 
of  a  teacher,  when  Prof.  Sumner  and  Mrs.  Lincoln  were 
giving  instructions  in  natural  science,  and  Prof.  Patton 
was  conducting  a  school  in  which  both  the  solid  and  or- 
namental  branches  were  taught,  and   her  accpiaintance 


338  LAKK    COUNTY. 

with  those  who  were  the  leaders  in  literary  and  social 
life  in  that  city  between  the  years  181 9  and  1824,  fitted 
her  peculiarly  for  teaching.  Botany  until  about  this  time 
had  been  taught  in  Latin,  but  it  was  now  introduced  in 
an  English  garb  into  Hartford  by  Dr.  Sumner,  a  distin- 
guished botanical  author,  whose  lectures  she  attended  ; 
having  also  for  a  teacher  a  grand  daughter  of  Gen.  Put- 
nam. The  botanical  knowledge  here  gained,  having  a 
teacher  so  enthusiastic,  was  very  accurate  and  practical. 
She  had  also,  a  rare  acquirement  even  now,  given  atten- 
tion to  Hebrew,  and  wrote  those  old  characters  with  facil- 
ity and  beauty.  But  her  training  in  her  father's  home 
fitted  her  for  a  very  different  and  highly  needful  service. 
She  dispensed  medicine  not  only  to  her  own  family  but 
to  her  neighbors,  in  what  is  now  the  township  of  Hanover. 
She  was  often  called  for  to  visit  the  sick,  and  to  go  for 
miles  in  the  still  hours  of  night  where  there  was  human 
suffering.  If  she  considered  the  patient  quite  dangerous 
she  would  recommend  the  calling  of  a  physician.  If  not 
very  dangerous  she  would  treat  the  case  herself. 

Small  in  person,  but  of  dauntless  courage  and  great 
nerve  power,  she  extracted  teeth  for  stout  men  and 
women  who  wondered  that  she  had  so  much  strength. 
She  bled  when  necessary. 

One  day  Thomas  Farlow,  of  Michigan  City,  was 
brought  into  her  home  quite  seriously  hurt  by  having 
been  thrown  from  his  wagon.  To  prevent  inflammation 
or  congestion  it  was  needful  for  him  to  be  bled.  She 
took  her  lancet  and  bled  him  with  the  coolness  and  suc- 
cess of  an  army  surgeon.  Had  she  given  attention  to 
surgery,  so  far  as  entire  control  of  her  nerves  was  con- 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  339 

cerned,  she  would  have  taken  off  a  Hmb  from  her  own 
child  or  a  stranger,  if  necessity  required  it,  with  entire 
calmness.  But  needlessly  she  would  never  inflict  pain. 
For  medicines  and  for  extracting  teeth  I  think  she  gener- 
ally received  pay,  for  her  time  she  received  no  remuner- 
ation. Thus,  for  many  years,  she  performed  to  quite  an 
extent  the  duties  of  a  female  physician,  besides  attend- 
ing to  her  household  duties,  having  the  care,  as  a  very 
faithful  mother,  of  seven  children,  and  performing  a 
teacher's  work.  She  had  in  those  days  very  keen  eyesight, 
and  although  her  health  remained  firm,  her  eyes,  proba- 
bly from  excessive  night-work,  before  the  days  of  sewing 
machines,  gave  way.  She  suffered  with  them  for  years 
and  nearly  lost  the  sight  of  one. 

Although  in  the  decline  of  life  she  has  as  yet  firm 
health,  a  descendant  of  a  long-lived  family,  and  still 
attends  to  the  wants  of  the  suffering  where  duty  calls. 
Had  she  commenced  life  some  years  later,  and  so  shared 
the  opportunities  now  granted  to  women,  she  would  quite 
surely  ha\e  become  a  distinguished  female  physician.  As 
it  is  she  has  in  this  department  served  her  generation 
well. 

A  member  in  her  young  days  of  the  Baptist  Church  at 
Agawam,  Massachusetts,  she  was  a  member  of  the  Cedar 
Lake  Church,  and  afterward  of  the  Baptist  Church  at 
Crown  Point,  and  now  is  a  member  of  the  North  Street 
Church.  She  is  quite  generally  known  in  the  central 
■and  southern  parts  of  the  county. 


There  are  many  others,  no  longer  among  us,  of  whom 
it  would  be  pleasant  to  ha\e  some  memorials  preserved. 


340  LAKE    COUNTY. 

but  I  find  little  material  for  making  any  records  concern- 
ing them.  Among  these  I  name  H.  Nordyke,  Solomon 
Russell,  Jonathan  Gray,  Lyman  Mann,  Calvin  Lilley, 
Adonijah  Taylor,  Horace  Taylor,  Horace  Egerton,  S.  P. 
Stringham,  John  Foley,  and  Washington  Dille  around  Ce- 
dar Lake.  And  there  were,  it  may  be  remembered,  more 
than  four  hundred  others;  but  few  of  whose  names,  per- 
haps, can  be  snatched  from  oblivion.  Some  have  written 
their  names,  as  it  were,  in  a  bold  hand  across  the  county,, 
and  they  will  not  soon  fade  out ;  others  only  made  an 
entry  in  some  corner,  in  dim  characters,  and  already 
these  are  illegible.  The  legibility  of  the  name  will  not 
prove  the  worth  of  the  man. 

There  are  also  a  number  yet  remaining  among  us,, 
whom  if  I  begin  to  name,  I  shall  not  know  where  to  stop,, 
who  may  justly  feel  that  they  are  entitled  to  a  record 
upon  these  pages.  And  no  doubt  they  are  ;  but  which 
one  of  them  has  furnished  me  any  material  for  such  a 
record  .''  Perhaps  when  a  revised  edition  is  published  the 
material  will  be  readily  obtained.  I  have  made  records 
where  I  found  material ;  but  do  not  claim  to  have  made 
records  concerning  all  who  were  meritorious. 

I  claim,  however,  for  all  who  endured  the  privations, 
hardships,  and  exposures,  which  were  the  lot  of  those 
planting  our  social  and  civil  institutions  upon  this  then 
virgin  soil,  and  who  murmured  not  nor  repined,  a  part  of 
that  meed  of  praise  recognized  as  due  to  the  founders  of 
States.  Some  of  them  were  encouraged,  I  trust,  by  what 
President  Elliott  says  animated  the  founders  of  Harvard 
University,  "  The  beautiful  hope  of  doing  good."  He 
whose  soul  is  glowing  with  this  hope  is  nerved  for  no  lit- 
tle endurance. 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  34I 

I  hope  that  over  the   resting-place  of  none  of  them 
might  truthfully  be  written  the  old,  severe  epitaph  : 

"  Here  lies  a  man  who  did  no  good, 
And  if  he'd  lived  he  never  would  : 
Where  he's  gone  and  how  he  fares, 
Nobody  knows  and  nobody  cares." 

There  is   authoritative    teaching   somewhere,  that  we 
should  do  good  to  all  men  as  we  have  opportunity. 


Young  men  of  Lake  have  gone  out  into  other  counties 
and  States,  and  have  been  succeeding  well.  Eli  Church, 
■from  Western  Prairie,  member  of  the  Cedar  Lake  Ly- 
ceum, went  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  accumulated,  in  the 
staging  business,  some  forty  thousand  dollars. 

Edwin  Church  and  brothers,  sons  of  Darling  Church, 
are  now  doing  a  business  in  one  of  the  towns  of  Michigan, 
amounting,  it  is  said,  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  a 
year. 

Darius  G.  Farwell  has  been  carrying  on  a  drug  store 
in  Brooklyn,  New  York.  Dr.  E.  J.  Farwell  is  now  practic- 
ing medicine  in  Chicago,  and  also  carrying  on  a  drug 
store. 

E.  B.  Warriner  is  engaged  in  one  of  the  large  furniture 
stores  of  Kankakee  City. 

William  Hill  is  engaged  in  large  farming  operations 
near  the  Pacific  coast. 

Ross  Bryant  went,  years  ago,  to  Valparaiso,  made 
money,  and  has  lately  opened  a  commission  house  in 
Chicago. 


342  LAKE    COUNTY. 

There  are  now  growing  up  in  the  county  a  number  of 
promising  boys,  whose  strong  arms  and  active  minds  will 
be  needed  ere  long  in  life's  duties  and  conflicts.  For 
what  posts  of  duty,  or  for  what  walks  in  life,  they  are 
fitting,  no  human  foresight  can  tell.  We  have  no  richer 
treasures  than  our  truly  obedient,  polite,  modest,  truth- 
ful, and  therefore  noble  boys.  May  they  not  share  in 
that  experience  which  N.  P.  Willis  has  vividly  portrayed 
in  his  poem  on  "Ambition,"  and  find  they  have  gained 
at  last 

"^//things  l)ut  hn\'  —  when  /o~m  in  all  we  want." 

And  there  are  also  in  our  homes  many  fair  and  lovely 
girls,  as  frail  perhaps  as  fair,  —  "  rose-like  in  beauty," — 
who,  if  properly  nurtured  and  trained,  may  yet  reach  a 
vigorous,  glorious  womanhood.  And  they  too  will  be 
7ieeded.  Earth  has  many  paths  for  them  to  tread.  As 
teachers,  or  physicians,  or  missionaries,  or  writers,  or  ar- 
tists, open  pathways  are  before  them.  They  are  our 
jewels,  and  they  need  to  be  carefully  polished  and  faith- 
fully guarded. 

"  There  is  light  in  the  cabin  of  Long  Bow,  for  the  Red 
Fawn  is  there."  Said  of  Indian  father  and  Indian 
maiden.  These  make  much  of  the  light  in  our  homes 
now,  and  all  too  soon  will  they  try  for  themselves  life's 
realities.  A  generous  culture  for  body  and  mind  is  what 
they  need  to  fit  them  for  toil ;  for  earth's  daughters  should 
toil  as  well  as  earth's  sons.  They  should  toil,  but  not 
•drudge ;  should  be  cherished  and  loved,  not  petted  and 
spoiled.  As  the  daughters  now  are  trained  so  will  the 
future  mothers  be.     Well  will   it  be   if  these  learn  what 


SKETCHES    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS.  343 

Monod  has  said  of  woman,  "  Her  vocation  by  birth  is  a 
vocation  of  charity." 


PRINCIPAL    OFFICERS    OF    LAKE    COUNTY. 

I  have  made  these  lists  from  a  comparison  of  different 
county  records,  correcting  from  other  sources  where  they 
were  incomplete. 

SHERIFFS. 

Henry  \\'ells,  appointed  by  the  Ciovernor  March  8, 
1837  ;  Luman  A.  Fowler,  1837  ;  J.  A^  Johns,  1839  ;  Rollin 
T.  Tozier,  1841  ;  Henry  Wells,  1843;  Henry  AA'ells,  1845; 
Luman  A.  Fowler,  1847;  Fuman  A.  Fowler,  1849;  Janna 
S.  Holton,  185  I  ;  3.  B.  Strait,  1853  ;  Job  D.  Bonnell,  1855  ; 
Jesse  E.  Pierce,  1857  ;  L.  A.  Fowler,  1859  ;  F.  A.  Fowler, 
1861  ;  Andrew  Krimbill,  1863  ;  Andrew  Krimbill,  1865  ;  H. 
G.  Bliss,  1867;  H.  G.  Bliss,  1870;  John  Donche,  1872. 

COUNTY     COMMISSIONERS. 

A.  T>.  Ball,  S.  P.  Stringliam,  and  Thomas  Wiles,  first 
board,  elected  1837.  In  Januar\-,  1838,  H.  D.  Palmer, 
appointed  by  the  Circuit  Court,  took  the  place  of  A.  L. 
Ball,  who  had  resigned  to  run  for  representative.  In 
May,  Benaiah  Barney,  appointed  by  the  Associate  Judges, 
took  the  place  of  H.  D.  Palmer,  appointed  Associate 
Judge;  Derastus  Torrey,  1S38;  Henry  Wells,  1839;  W. 
Rockwell,  1840.  (Some  uncertainty  here,  as  members 
of  the  first  board  were  probably  reelected,  and  that  fact 
I  do  not  find  recorded).  W.  X.  Sykes,  1843.  (Again 
uncertainty).  S.  T.  (ireene,  1846  ;  S.  Parrish,  1847  ;  Au- 
gustine Humphrey,  1847;  Robert  Wilkinson,  1848.  (Some 
omission  here).  A.  I).  Foster,  1854;  A.  Humphrey, 
1856;   G.   W.    Lawrence,  1857;   John  llnderwood,  1858; 


344  LAKE    COUNTV. 

Adam  Schmal,  1857  ;  G.  L.  Foster,  1861 ;  Daniel  F.  Saw- 
yer, 1861 ;  A.  Schmal,  1862  ;  Aaron  Konkright,  1862  ;  G.  L, 
Foster,  1863;  A.  Konkright,  1864;  Wm.  Brown,  1866; 
Alvin  Green,  1867  ;  H.  C.  Beckman,  1867;  K.  M.  Burn- 
ham,  1870;  J-  Burge,  1870. 

PROBATE    JUDGES. 

Robert  Wilkinson,  elected  in  1837  ;  Hervey  Ball,  1844; 
David  Turner,  1849.     Office  abolished  in  1851. 

CLERKS. 

Solon  Robinson,  i837-'43  ;  Joseph  P.  Smith,  1843-47  ; 
D.  K.  Pettibone,  i847-'59  ;  Z.  F.  Summers,  i859-'67  ;  W. 
W.  Cheshire,  1867 . 

RECORDERS. 

W.  A.  W.  Holton,  1837;  J.  P.  Smith,  August  1838. 
The  office  was  probably  held  by  him  until  he  was  elected 
Clerk,  and  then  the  two  offices  were  united  in  one  per- 
son till  1845.  Major  Allman,  i845-'56;  Amos  Allman,. 
i856-'64;  Sanford  D.  Clark,  i864-'72. 

TREASURERS. 

J.  W.  Holton,  1837;  Milo  Robinson,  1838,  (died  in 
1839),  and  who  succeeded  is  uncertain.  As  near  as  can 
be  ascertained,  the  next  Treasurer  was  A.  McDonald, 
probably  from  1840  to  1845  5  the  fourth  was  W.  C.  Far- 
rington,  1845  to  1848.  Then  followed  H.  Wells,  1848  to 
1855  ;  J.  S.  Holton,  1855  to  1859;  E.  M.  Cramer,  1859  to 
1863;  John  Knost,  1863  to  1867  ;  Adam  Schmal,  1867  to 
187 1  ;  John  Brown,  187 1  to . 

ASSOCIATE    JUDGES. 

Of  these  there  have  been  but  few,  as  the  term  of  office 
was  seven  years  and  the  office  itself  ceased  in  185 1.    The 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  345 

following  by  appointment  or  election   held  this  office  in 
the  county  : 

W.  B.  Crooks,  W.  Clark,  H.  D.  Palmer.  Samuel  Tur- 
ner, A.  F.  Brown,  W.  Rockwell,  and  Michael  Pearce.  «A. 
F.  Brown  was  elected  in  October,  1849,  but  died  before 
entering  upon  the  duties  of  the  office.  W.  Rockwell 
and  M.  Pearce  were  elected  shortly  before  the  office  was 
abolished. 

AUDITORS. 

The  duties  of  Auditor  were  at  first  divided  between 
School  Commissioner, —  H.  S.  Pelton  being  elected  to 
this  office  in  1S37,  and  giving  i$io,ooo  bonds,  while  at  the 
same  time  the  bonds  of  the  Sheriff  were  $5,000,  and  of 
the  Treasurer  only  $2,000, —  and  the  County  Clerk,  who 
also  acted  as  Recorder. 

The  first  who  seems  to  have  occupied  this  as  a  distinct 
office  was  Joseph  Jackson,  elected  in  1847  or  1848.  He 
seems  to  have  held  the  office  until  1852.  The  second 
was  D.  Crumbacker,  from  1852  to  1861.  The  third  was 
James  H.  Luther,  1861  to  1869.  The  fourth  was  John 
Knost,  1869  to  1873.  Auditor  elect  this  fall,  who  will  be 
the  fifth,  is  H.  G.  Bliss. 

COUNTY    SURVEYOR. 

W.  N.  Sykes  was  appointed  by  the  Commissioners  in 
1837.  He  did  not  serve.  Chancellor  Graves  was  next 
appointed  in  May  1838.  He  also  never  accepted  the 
office,  and  died  in  x\ugust.  No  other  appointment  ap- 
pears on  the  Officer's  Record  Book  in  the  clerk's  office, 
till  1852.  The  duties  of  the  office,  however,  were 
discharged,  during  many  of  those  years,  by  Hervey 
Ball;  the   field  notes   came  first  into   his  hands,  and  he 


346  LAKE    COUNTY. 

unquestionably  held  the  office.  In  1852  W.  N.  Sykes 
was  again  appointed.  He  died  in  1853.  Then  suc- 
ceeded, John  Wheeler,  1853  to  1856  ;  Matthias  Schmit, 
i8|6  to  1858  ;  John  Fisher,  1858  to  1866  ;  Walter  de  Cour- 
cey,  1866  to  i868';  A.  Vander  Naillen,  1868  to  1870; 
John  Wheeler,  1870  to . 

UKPRESENTATIVES. 

The  counties  of  Lake  and  Porter  formed  one  repre- 
sentative district  until  1850. 

At  the  first  election  in  1837,  J.  Hammel,  of  Porter 
County,  was  elected  by  the  two  counties  representative. 
Lewis  Warriner,  of  Cedar  Lake,  was  elected  in  1839. 
Cline  and  S.  Campbell,  of  Porter  County,  were  also  our 
representatives,  the  latter  elected  probably  in  1842. 

Of  the  citizens  of  our  own  county,  A.  McDonald  was 
the  next  representative,  and  continued  to  be  reelected, 
with  one  interval  of  rest,  until  1855.  This  interval  was 
filled  by  Lewis  Warriner,  who  was  elected  representative 
in  1848. 

The  following  is  the  order  of  the  succeeding  represen- 
tatives :  D.  Turner,  1855;  A.  McDonald,  1857;  Elihu 
Griffin,  1859;  Bartlett  Woods,  1861  ;  D.  K.  Pettibone, 
1863 ;  Bartlett  Woods,  1865 ;  H.  Wason,  1867 ;  E  C. 
Field,  1869;  Martin  Wood,  1871,  and  reelected  in  1872 
for  the  session  of  1873. 


Lake  County  has  furnished  as  Senators,  for  our  sena- 
torial district,  D.  Turner,  elected  in  1856  for  four  years, 
and  R.  C.  Wedge,  elected  in  1870. 


Our  county  records  have  furnished  no  data  for  deter- 


SKETCHES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  347 

mining  the  individuals  sent  to  the  (General  Assembly. 
The  above  is  believed  to  be  accurate.  A  Porter  County 
record  proves  that  A.  McDonald  was  candidate  for  the 
legislature  in  1847,  and  it  states  that  he  had  twice  before 
that  year  represented  the  two  counties.  Whether  elected 
in  the  years  1S43  and  1845,  or  in  consecutive  years,  is 
uncertain.  This  however  remains  as  the  fact,  the  above 
records  being  accurate,  that  for  eighteen  years,  from 
1837  to  1855,  two  counties  forming  our  district,  Lake 
County  sent  but  two  men  to  the  Indiana  Legislature  ;  a 
fact  not  very  flattering  to  our  political  leaders,  but  a  fact, 
it  may  be,  very  creditable  as  showing  our  freedom  from 
political  intrigue  and  ambition. 


34^  LAKE    COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE    PRESENT.        1870-1S72. 

The  events  of  the  three  years  of  this  present  decade 
are  yet  fresh  in  the  memory  of  us  all,  and  a  record  need 
only  be  made  of  the  leading  events  which  we  wish  to 
preserve  for  the  interest  of  others. 

Improvements  have  been  going  on  quite  rapidly,  both 
in  the  towns  and  among  the  farming  community.  Those 
in  the  villages  have  been  already  noticed. 

The  two  following  Castalian  records,  for  the  month  of 
February,  1870,  will  preserve  the  remembrance  of  a 
beautiful  phenomenon  and  of  one  business  or  commer- 
cial operation : 

"  On  Saturday  afternoon,  February  5th,  a  remarkable 
natural  phenomenon  was  witnessed  in  the  south  part  of 
the  county.  It  was  that  appearance  known  as  sun-dogs, 
a.  term  which  Webster  thus  defines  :  'A  luminous  spot 
occasionally  seen  a  few  degrees  from  the  sun,  supposed 
to  be  formed  by  the  intersection  of  two  or  more  halos, 
or  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  of  halos.'  Halo  he  defines 
thus  :  'A  luminous  circle,  usually  prismatically  colored, 
round  the  sun  or  moon,  and  supposed  to  be  caused  by 
the  refraction  of  light  through  crystals  of  ice  in  the 
atmosphere.'  The  appearance  of  February  5th,  was 
remarkable  for  its  brilliancy,  its  appearance  when  the  sun 


THE    PRESENT T870-1872.  349 

was  SO  far  from  the  horizon,  and  appearing  on  an  after- 
noon so  warm  and  pleasant.  At  four  o'clock  it  was  first 
seen  by  our  observer,  but  it  had  been  noticed  by  some 
on  the  marsh  long  before.  At  four,  bright  appearances, 
almost  equal  to  suns,  were  seen  on  each  side,  several  de- 
grees distant  from  the  real  sun,  which  was  then  also  very 
bright.  These  were  prismatically  colored.  From  each 
a  well  defined  curve  extended  upward,  meeting  over  the 
sun,  where  a  third,  less  brilliant  but  singular  glow  of  light, 
and  color,  and  curve,  appeared.  A  line  extended  from 
each  also,  downward,  nearly  to  the  horizon,  forming  an 
almost  entire  circle  round  the  sun,  some  fifty  or  sixty 
degrees  in  width,  with  three  bright  appearances  in  the 
line  of  the  curve.  A  small  bank  of  cloud  lay,  apparently, 
under  the  sun;  but  who  would  suppose  that  on  that  day 
it  could  have  contained  crystals  of  ice .-'  This  bank 
seemed  to  dissolve  away  before  sunset,  and  the  sun-dogs 
disappeared.  No  storm,  no  cold,  in  this  region,  followed. 
Different  observers  have  remarked  that  they  never  saw 
such  an  appearance  on  so  warm  a  day,  nor  ever  saw  such 
brilliant  sun-dogs." 


"  The  White  Water  Ice  Company,  Cincinnati,  have 
been  doing  quite  a  business  at  Crown  Point  this  month. 
At  this  writing  their  men  are  busily  engaged  taking  the 
ice  from  Fancher's  Lake,  loading  cars,  and  building  ice 
stacks.  Some  eighty  men  are  employed  daily,  and  thirty 
teams.  These  may  be  seen  on  East  Street  and  Main 
Street  every  hour,  wending  their  way  from  the  Lake  to 
the  depot.     Some  are  building,  in  the  meantime,  a  '  stack  ' 

at  the  Lake,  and  others  erecting  one  near  the  depot. 
26 


350  LAKE    COUNTY. 

"  These  stacks  are  one  hundred  feet  in  length  and 
sixty  in  width,  estimated  to  contain,*  each,  when  com- 
pleted, twenty-five  hundred  tons.  The  ice  is  cut  in 
blocks  of  the  same  size,  by  means  of  ice  plows  and  saws, 
twenty  of  which  blocks  make  a  load,  weighing  more  than 
a  ton.  If  the  weather  continues  favorable  for  the  busi- 
ness, these  stacks  will  probably  remain  till  summer,  and 
then  our  crystal  water,  in  its  solid  form,  will  go  south- 
ward, for  cooling  purposes,  to  be  used  by  the  inhabitants 
of  far-off  cities,  who  know  nothing  of  the  lake  in  the 
woods  from  whence  it  came.  This  business,  picturesque 
and  cool  as  it  looks,  is  a  part  of  the  commerce  of  civiliza- 
tion, a  part  of  the  great  work  of  exchange.  It  puts- 
money  into  Crown  Point,  and  takes  what  was  and  will  be 
water  away.  Six  acres  of  ice,  in  blocks  twenty-two 
inches  square,  will  make  for  the  marke.ts  of  the  South, 
how  many  tons  .''  A  visit  to  the  lake,  while  the  cutting 
and  packing  are  going  on,  is  interesting.  The  ice  is  first 
carefully  laid  off  into  squares  by  an  instrument  called  a 
marker.  Seams  are  next  cut  several  inches  in  depth 
along  the  marked  lines  in  one  direction  by  an  ice  plow. 
Hand  saws  are  then  used  to  cut  across  these  seams  at 
proper  distances,  and  another  tool  is  employed  to  complete 
the  breaking  in  the  plowed  seam.  These  strips,  twenty- 
two  inches  in  width,  and  some  eight  feet  in  length,  are 
floated  in,  by  means  of  spikes,  to  the  foot  of  a  slide.  One 
man  then  attaches  a  grapnel  to  the  outer  end  of  the  floating 
ice  slab,  and  it  is  drawn  by  horse  power  up  the  slide.  As  it 
leaves  the  water  another  man  with  a  fitting  tool  separates 
it  into  squares  along  the  marked,  unplowed  seams.  These 
cakes  are  then  delivered  on  a  platform   for  loading,  and 


THE    PRESENT 1870-1872.  351 

at  the  stack  are  taken  up  a  number  of  feet,  from  whence 
they  slide  rapidly  down  to  the  ice  floor.  From  twelve  to 
sixteen  squares  make  this  slide  at  once,  and  it  is  a  lively 
sight.  A  number  of  men  are  there  ready,  with  appro- 
priate tools,  to  pack  the  cakes.  Two  of  these  slides  are 
used  at  the  stack  now  being  built  at  the  lake.  From 
seeing  a  slide  of  a  few  feet,  one  might  imagine  a  little, 
yet  very  faintly,  how  that  slide  worked  constructed  once 
among  the  Alps,  which  was  several  miles  in  length.  The 
rapidity  of  motion  there  must  have  been  fearful.  This 
is  simply  pretty.  The  plows  used  here  are  worth  one 
hundred  dollars  a  piece  ;  the  markers  some  eighty  dol- 
lars. The  company  must  pay  out  at  least  one  thousand 
dollars  a  week.  A  nice  thing  for  Crown  Point  in  these 
close  times." 


The  great  excitement  of  the  year  187 1  was  the  action 
of  the  Kankakee  Valley  Draining  Company.  A  bill 
passed  the  State  Legislature  in  the  winter  of  1869  and 
1870,  known  as  the  Kankakee  Drainage  Law.  A  com- 
pany was  formed  under  this  law,  consisting  of  George  W. 
Cass,  of  Pittsburgh;  George  N.  McConnell,  of  Indiana; 
W.  D.  Wright,  of  Cincinnati ;  and  eight  other  persons, 
who  proceeded  to  issue  some  $2,000,000  in  bonds,  run- 
ning twenty  years,  and  to  make  assessments  upon  lands 
amounting  in  all  to  more  than  four  millions  of  dollars. 
In  this  county  it  was  claimed  that  61,438  acres  would  be 
affected  by  the  ditches  which  the  company  proposed  to 
dig,  and  benefit  assessments  were  laid  on  these  lands  to 
the  amount  of  $597,794.  When  the  map  of  their  pro- 
posed work  and  amount  of  assessments  were  filed  in  the 


352  LAKE    COUNTY. 

recorder's  office  a  strong  spirit  of  opposition  to  the 
movement  was  manifested  in  this  and  the  adjoining 
counties.  There  were  grave  objections  to  the  bill  itself, 
to  the  provisions  of  the  law,  and  serious  doubts  as  to 
any  real  good  resulting  from  such  outlays  of  money  as 
that  company  might  make.  I  quote  from  a  publication 
in  187 1  the  following : 

"  This  company  cannot  drain  the  Kankakee  without 
destroying  a  great  natural  dam  of  stone,  some  sixteen 
miles  in  extent,  at  Momence,  Illinois,  eight  miles  from 
the  Indiana  line,  and  as  it  is  a  valuable  water-power, 
whose  proprietors  have  a  perpetual  charter  from  the 
State  of  Illinois,  and  a  paid-up  capital  of  $1,250,000,  it 
is  not  likely  that  the  waters  of  the  Kankakee  will  be 
reduced  one  inch  by  this  company.  The  whole  thing  is 
a  stupendous  fraud  upon  the  public     *****" 

Meetings  of  the  citizens  were  held  at  different  places ; 
a  strong,  wide  current  of  popular  sentiment  set  full 
against  the  operations  of  the  Kankakee  Valley  Draining 
Company;  and  the  probability  seems  to  be  that  the  ben- 
efit assessment  will  never  be  collected. 

Some  more  large  ditches,  judiciously  cut,  might  be  a 
benefit  to  the  dry  marsh,  but  this  is  gradually  becoming 
sufficiently  dry  not  only  for  pasturage  and  grass  but  for 
cultivation. 

The  Kankakee  region  in  our  bounds  may  well  be  called 
wild,  strange,  and  magnificent.  A  river  is  its  southern 
limit,  a  singular,  lonely  river,  yet  a  river  abounding  with 
wild  life.  Between  the  river  and  the  prairie  are  about 
seventy-five  square  miles  of  wet  and  dry  marsh  and  of 
wooded  islands.     Beginning  on  the  east  these  islands  are 


THE    PRESENT 1870-1872.  353 

named  thus  :  Little  Beech  Ridge,  Walnut  Knob,  Honey 
Locust,  Big  Beech  Ridge,  Warner's  Island,  Fuller's 
Island,  Red  Oak  Island,  Brownell's  Island,  and  White 
Oak  Island.  These  are  in  Township  32,  Range  7,  and 
Township  32,  Range  8.  The  last  named  grove  or  island 
is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  region,  extending  for  some 
three  miles,  from  Section  30  in  Range  8,  eastward.  In 
Township  32,  Range  9,  beginning  on  the  west  side,  these 
islands  of  timber  are  thus  named  :  Sugar  Grove  on  Sec- 
tions 29  and  30  ;  Ash  Swamp  north  of  Sugar,  in  20  ;  River 
Ridge  from  33  to  ^6  ;  Stave  Shanty,  north  of  River  Ridge 
on  34  and  35.  In  this  are  two  dwellings  and  several  In- 
dian mounds.  Also,  Wheeler's  Island  on  the  east  side  of 
26,  extending  into  Section  25,  in  which  is  one  dwelling 
house;  South  Island,  on  24,  containing  two  dwelling 
houses;  Bolivar  Island,  Long  Willow  or  Crab  Apple 
Grove,  and  School  Grove  Island. 

These  ridges  and  islands  are  all  sandy.  The  timber 
is  white  and  black  oak,  ash,  cotton-wood,  soft  maple, 
sycamore,  and  swamp  burr  oak.  The  last  is  said  to  be 
the  best  timber  in  the  region  for  fencing  purposes.  Some 
of  these  varieties,  especially  the  ash,  will  grow  in  the 
water,  and  thus  they  make  a  regular  swamp.  Getting 
this  timber  out  in  the  winter  is  called  "swamping." 

On  the  western  side  of  the  county  G.  W.  Cass  and  W. 
F.  Singleton  hold  a  large  tract  of  this  marsh  land.  A 
turnpike  road  has  been  constructed  near  the  river,  ex- 
tending eastward  for  several  miles,  and  thus  opening  the 
way  for  additional  settlements  on  the  islands  and  the 
sandy  ridges.  A  saw  mill  still  further  east,  nearly  south 
of  Orchard  Grove  has  been  put   in   successful  operation. 


354  LAKE  COUNTY. 

CUMBERLAND  LODGE. 

To  this  year,  of  1872,  may  be  accredited  the  beginning 
of  Cumberland  Lodge  Farm,  on  School  Grove  Island, 
in  the  Kankakee  Region. 

The  first  settler  on  this  island  was  John  Hunter,  by 
occupation  a  hunter  and  trapper.  He  spent  a  number 
of  years  along  the  Kankakee,  following  his  favorite  occu- 
pation, and  camping  on  different  islands.  After  moving 
from  island  to  island  for  ten  years  he  bought  six  acres  on 
School  Grove  Island,  and  made  that  his  headquarters. 

Heath  and  Milligan,  of  Chicago,  afterward  bought 
land  on  the  island.  They,  with  eight  other  Chicago  gen- 
tlemen, built  in  the  grove  in  the  fall  of  1869,  and  estab- 
lished a  hunter's  home,  which  was  called  Camp  Milligan. 
The  house  is  evidently  constructed  for  hunters'  head- 
quarters. It  is  kept  by  G.  M.  Shaver  and  family.  Hunt- 
ing parties  come  from  Chicago  and  other  cities,  spend  a 
few  days,  register  their  success,  and  enjoy  the  exercise. 
No  game  is  allowed  to  be  sold.  From  September  to  No- 
vember are  the  months  for  hunting,  or  more  properly  for 
fowling.  The  game  is  mostly  ducks,  geese,  and  brants. 
Some  of  the  entries  in  the  Hunters'  Record  Book  kept 
at  Camp  Milligan,  may  be  of  interest.  Eight  gentlemen, 
in  a  few  days,  shot  sixty-six  snipes  and  five  hundred  and 
thirteen  ducks.  Another  says,  four  gentlemen  shot  fifty 
snipes  and  five  hundred  and  fifteen  ducks.  "  September 
nth,  Sunday,  no  shooting."  Another  entry  mentions 
shooting  from  September  1st  to  17th,"  except  Sundays." 
G.  M.  Shaver  alone  killed  four  years  ago  eleven  hundred 
ducks,  besides  other  water  fowls. 

In  one  of  these  hunting  parties,  that  visited  the  island 


THE    PRESENT 1870-1872.  355 

in  1 87 1,  were  two  enterprising  English  gentlemen,  Wil- 
liam Parker  and  Captain  Blake,  who  were  on  a  hunting 
tour  in  the  West,  and  wlio  were  so  much  pleased  with 
the  location,  that  having  made  since  then  a  trip  to  Europe, 
they  have  this  year  returned  and  have  invested  quite  a 
sum  of  money  in  lands  on  the  island  and  in  the  adjoining 
marsh,  and  in  buildings,  and  in  stock.  They  have 
erected  a  dwelling  house,  barns,  and  kennels ;  have  im- 
ported from  England  some  sixteen  of  the  choicest  blooded 
dogs  known  to  sportsmen  ;  also  some  choice  Alderney 
cows,  and  horses ;  and  have  imported  or  purchased  other 
choice  stock.  They  have  a  black  bear  and  some  foxes. 
Both  of  these  gentlemen  are  excellent  sportsmen,  and,  in 
the  words  of  Captain  Blake,  they  "expect  to  combine 
business  with  pleasure." 

Camp  Milligan  still  remains  and  is  visited  as  usual. 

The  improvements  near  by,  made  by  these  English 
gentlemen,  bear  the  name  of  Cumberland  Lodge,  and 
bid  fair  to  be,  in  the  importation  and  improvement  of 
stock,  very  beneficial  to  the  farming  interests  of  Lake. 
The  results  may  show  that  this  new  style  of  farming  and 
this  commencement  of  importation,  from  the  island  of 
Great  Britain  direct  to  a  little  island  in  the  Kankakee 
Region,  were  among  the  important  events  in  our  county 
for  the  present  year. 

These  gentlemen  seem  to  be  abundantly  supplied  with 
the  means  needful  for  accomplishing  large  enterprises. 

The  great  excitement  of  1872  has  been 


356  LAKE    COUNTY. 

"  THE    BURGLAR." 
THE  EXPLOSION,    THE   PURSUIT,   THE   ARREST,  AND   THE   TRIAL. 

THE    EXPLOSION. 

On  Sunday  morning  of  June  9th,  a  crowd  assembled 
in  front  of  the  Treasurer's  Office,  in  Crown  Point,  amid 
very  unusual  circumstances.  Some  $46,000  were  known 
to  have  been  in  the  safe  within  the  vault  the  night  before, 
together  with  a  tin  box  of  supposed  valuables  of  unknown 
value  deposited  the  day  before  by  a  stranger;  and  now, 
as  the  anxious  citizens  gathered  round,  they  saw  a  broken 
wall,  ruined  vaults,  an  open  safe,  and  abundant  evidences 
of  a  fearful  explosion.  They  learned  that  a  stranger,  of 
singular  appearance  and  marked  individualities,  who  en- 
tered the  town  the  Friday  before  and  had  been  observed 
by  many  of  the  citizens  during  Friday  and  Saturday,  had 
deposited  with  the  County  Treasurer  for  safe  keepiiig  a 
box  represented  to  contain  valuables.  This  box,  made 
of  tin,  some  eight  inches  in  length  and  five  in  width,  was 
deposited  on  Friday  and  taken  out  on  Saturday  morning. 
It  was  again  deposited  on  Saturday  afternoon,  to  be  called 
for  on  Monday  morning.  The  treasurer  had  no  suspic- 
ion, and  retired  at  evening,  in  entire  confidence,  to  his 
home.  The  stranger  also  retired,  pretended  to  take  the 
evening  train,  but  was  seen  lurking  around  town  at  a  late 
hour  Saturday  night.  It  was  also  ascertained  that  about 
one  o'clock  the  tall,  singular  looking  stranger,  commenced 
work  upon  the  outer  door  of  the  office  and  bored  above 
and  below  the  lock  fourteen  holes  through  the  door. 
Soon  an  explosion  was  heard  by  the  night  watchman  and 
three  other  citizens  who  were  near  the  Rockwell  House 
at  that  hour,  and  these  hastened  to  the  office  from  whence 


THE    PRESENT 1870-1872.  357 

the  sound  proceeded.  The  stranger  fled  at  their  approach, 
the  treasurer  was  aroused,  the  ruined  vault  was  exam- 
ined, the  money  was  found  within  the  building,  and  the 
anxiety  of  those  most  deeply  interested  was  relieved. 
The  little  box  which  came  so  near  placing  $46,000  in  the 
hands  of  an  artful,  designing  man,  was  found  to  have 
contained  a  strip  of  tin,  a  gun  lock,  a  watch,  a  percussion 
cap,  and,  it  is  supposed,  some  gunpowder  and  nitro-gly- 
cerine.  The  whole  was  ingeniously  arranged  to  produce 
an  explosion  at  an  hour  indicated  by  the  watch,  and 
caused  by  the  motion  of  the  watch.  But  for  the  wake- 
fulness of  a  few  citizens  the  money  and  the  stranger 
would  have  departed  to  unknown  regions  in  that  eventful 
night  of  June  8th. 

THE    PURSUIT. 

The  baffled,  inchoate  burglar,  amid  the  exchange  of 
pistol  shots,  eluded  the  grasp  of  his  discoverers,  made 
good  his  retreat  to  the  woods,  and,  doubtless  in  a  sul- 
len, disappointed,  vexed  mood,  having  missed  a  prize 
almost  within  his  reach,  retired  southward  toward  the 
Kankakee  wilds. 

The  County  Commissioners  met  on  Tuesday,  June  i  ith, 
ordered  repairs,  offered  a  reward  of  $1,000  for  the  appre- 
hension of  the  fugitive,  and  James  H.  Ball,  J.  W.  Hughes, 
and  J.  Kain,  started  in  pursuit.  It  was  found  that  the 
tall  and  disguised  stranger  had  been  seen  about  sunrise 
north  of  Lowell,  and  soon  after  sunrise  had  passed 
through  the  Lowell  Cemetery,  and  had  been  hailed  near 
noon  above  Oak  Grove,  had  passed  southward  through 
the  Kankakee  Marsh,  and  at  four  o'clock  V.  ^L  was  at 
Beaver  Ditch,  where  he  sold  a  watch  and  continued 
southward.     At  dark   he  had   stojjped  near  Beaver  Lake 


358  LAKE    COUXTV. 

and  spent  the  night  at  the  house  of  Newton  Nichols. 
The  next  day  he  was  seen  by  herdsmen  passing  south- 
ward along  the  east  side  of  Beaver  Lake,  and  was  last 
seen  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Morocco.  These  facts 
the  pursuing  party  ascertained  ;  but  after  a  diligent  search 
through  that  region  and  from  Rensselaer  to  Kentland, 
learning  from  the  citizens  of  Morocco  "  that  burglars, 
horse  thieves,  and  desperadoes,  are  often  tracked  to  that 
vicinity,  where  they  seem  to  disai)pear,"  they  returned 
without  a  prisoner  to  Crown  Point. 

THE    ARREST. 

Weeks  passed,  and  months  passed,  and  no  discoveries 
•were  made  tending  to  secure  the  person  of  the  fugitive. 
But  in  September  a  message  came  to  Crown  Point  from 
Warsaw,  Indiana ;  it  was  speedily  answered ;  and  on 
Tuesday,  September  24th,  the  Sheriff  of  Lake,  H.  G. 
Bliss,  accompanied  by  John  Kain,  E.  C.  Field,  Esq.,  and 
the  Treasurer,  John  Brown,  arrested  a  supposed  crimi- 
nal in  Warsaw,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day 
he  was  securely  lodged  in  the  county  jail  at  Crown  Point, 
amid  considerable  excitement  among  the  citizens.  The 
question  now  was  whether  this  tall  and  singular  looking 
prisoner  was  the  tall  stranger  seen  on  our  streets  last 
June.  The  public  were  deeply  interested  in  the  solution 
of  the  question,  and  strong  and  conflicting  opinions  were 
at  once  expressed  by  various  citizens. 

THE    TRIAL. 

After  the  usual  law  preliminaries  and  some  delays,  the 
second  day  of  October  was  set  for  the  examination  of 
the  prisoner  before  Justice  Fry.  The  morning  came,  and 
the  Court  House  was  thronged  as  it  had  never  been  be- 


THE    PRESENT 1870-1872.  359 

fore  at  a  justice's  examination  or  trial.  The  ladies  of 
Crown  Point  crowded  the  galleries  as  they  had  never 
done  at  any  court  during  our  existence  as  a  county,  while 
from  day  to  day  the  trial  progressed;  manifesting  a 
strange  interest  which  had  never  been  exhibited  till  now 
for  or  against  any  prisoner.  And  yet  not  so  strange,  for 
a  remarkable  prisoner  appeared  before  them.  He  was 
tall,  strongly  built,  swarthy  and  pale,  just  recovering  from 
sickness,  marked  in  his  individualities,  a  man  whom  one 
would  expect  to  recognize  among  ten  thousand.  He  was 
called  Col.  Battles,  was  said  to  have  been  an  officer 
in  the  Southern  Rebel  Army,  and  was  a  man  of  acknowl- 
edged immoral  character.  He  was  claimed  to  be  the 
same  stranger  who  so  nearly  succeeded  in  carrying  away 
from  our  county  $46,000,  and  several  of  the  ladies  were 
to  appear  among  the  witnesses  in  behalf  of  the  State  and 
for  the  defense.  The  question  under  examination  was, 
the  identity  of  this  tall,  dark  looking  prisoner,  and  that 
tall,  disguised  stranger  who  was  held  responsible  to  civil 
law  for  an  attempted  but  unsuccessful  burglary.  The 
counsel  for  the  State  were  E.  C.  Field  and  T.  J.  Wood  ; 
for  the  prisoner  were  Barnard  and  Barnard,  T.  S.  Fan- 
cher,  and  Griffin  and  Youche.  The  examination  contin- 
ued with  increasing  interest  during  Wednesday,  Thursday, 
and  Friday  ;  excellent  order  prevailing  in  the  court  room  ; 
many  citizens  giving  strong  testimony  for  and  against  the 
prisoner;  and  on  Friday  evening  and  Saturday  long  and 
able  speeches  were  made  by  the  attorneys.  The  progress 
of  the  trial,  as  numerous  witnesses  were  examined  who 
had  seen  the  stranger  and  now  saw  the  ])risoner,  brought 
distinctly  to  notice  the   great   difference  which   exists  in 


360  LAKE    COUNTY. 

the  observing  power  of  different  individuals.  Some  were 
confident  that  the  stranger  and  the  prisoner  were  one, 
others  as  confident  that  they  were  two ;  and  some  were 
quite  uncertain.  After  hearing  patiently  the  evidence 
and  the  arguments  the  justice  decided  that  the  prisoner 
should  be  held  for  trial  at  the  Circuit  Court,  placing  his 
recognizance  at  ^2,000. 

The  counsel  for  the  prisoner  made  out,  a  few  weeks 
afterwards,  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  another  examina- 
tion was  held  before  Judge  Gillett,  of  the  Common  Pleas 
Court.  This  resulted  in  the  release  of  Col.  Battles,  and 
the  great  burglar  excitement  was  ended.  The  thousand 
dollar  reward  remained  in  the  treasury  of  the  county. 

Hoping  to  perform  the  part  of  an  impartial  historian, 
I  add;  that,  while,  it  may  be,  no  jury  would  have  con- 
victed the  prisoner  under  the  strongly  conflicting  testi- 
mony, the  conviction  is  strong  on  many  minds  that  Jus- 
tice Fry  rendered  a  perfectly  correct  decision ;  and  that 
there  are  those,  who  heard  the  first  examination,  and  who 
noticed  particularly  the  different  manners  in  which 
the  two  classes  of  witnesses  proposed  to  identify,  in 
whose  minds  no  reasonable  doubt  remains  that  Col.  Bat- 
tles was  in  reality  the  inchoate  burglar. 

In  closing  this  chapter  a  few  reflections  and  remarks 
are  added. 

For  the  first  fifteen  years  of  our  history  the  only  com- 
munication with  the  Chicago  market  was  by  the  regular 
team  route,  the  three  and  four  days'  wagon  trip.  For 
the  next  fifteen  years  much  business  was  done,  by  means 
of  railroad  transportation,  at  Lake  and  Hobart,  at  Dyer 
and  Ross.     Thus  thirty  years  passed.     What  complete 


THE    PRESENT 1870-1872.  361 

facilities  the  third  fifteen  years  will  furnish  cannot  now 
be  told ;  but  the  Great  Eastern  Road,  the  Danville  Road 
the  road  along  the  Kankakee  marsh,  and  the  projected 
Continental,  are  almost  bringing  a  market  to  every  man's 
door.  Fifty  years  will  doubtless  show  the  possession  of 
the  facilities  of  an  old  country.  The  children  will  almost 
forget  the  ways  in  which  their  fathers  went  to  market. 
Hardships  are  soon  forgotten  by  those  who  enjoy  their 
benefits. 

The  following,  as  one  illustration  out  of  many,  may 
■seem,  years  hence,  almost  incredible : 

George  Parkinson,  of  South  East  Grove,  in  the  winter 
of  1839  and  1840,  sold  pork  at  ^[ichigan  City  for  one 
dollar  and  fifty  cents  a  hundred  weight,  hauling  it  some 
forty  miles.  He  sent  a  load  of  grain.  The  proceeds 
were  returned,  the  man  who  did  the  hauling  received  his 
pay,  and  about  fifty  cents  were  left.  Those  now  enjoying 
and  yet  to  enjoy  the  benefits  purchased  by  persistent 
effort,  may  do  well  to  remember  some  of  their  fathers' 
early  struggles. 


Comparatively  few  families  preserve  records,  either  of 
their  ancestry  or  of  the  more  important  events  in  their 
own  history.  Many  families  have  not  preserved  the  date 
of  their  settlement  in  Lake.  As  examples  of  family  dates 
preserved  from  one  generation  to  another,  I  place  on  re- 
cord here  the  following : 

I. THE    HOLTON    FAMII.V. 

Wm.  Holton  came  over  from  England  in  the  ship  Fran- 
cis in  1634;  he  died  1691  ;  John  Holton  died  1712;  Wil- 
liam Holton  died    1757;  John   Holton   died   1797;  Joel 


362  LAKE    COUNTY. 

Holton  born  1738;  Alexander  Holton  born  1779';  J.  W. 
Holton  born  1807.  And  this  makes  one  line  from  the 
ship  Francis,  fourteen  years  after  the  landing  of  the  May 
Flower,  to  an  old  settler  of  Lake  County,  now  a  resident 
on  a  Deep  River  farm. 

II. THE    DINWIDDIE    FAMILY. 

In  this  family  line  David  has  been  a  favorite  name. 
Records  have  been  burnt  or  lost  containing  the  dates  of 
David  Dinwiddie,  ist ;  David  Dinwiddie,  2d  ;  David  Din- 
widdie,  3d ;  David  Dinwiddie,  4th.  Then  follow  David 
Dinwiddie,  5th,  born  1724;  David  Dinwiddie,  6th,  1755; 
Thomas  Dinwiddie,  1787  ;  a  brother  of  Thomas,  David 
Dinwiddie,  7th,  1792  ;  J.  W.  Dinwiddie,  1813;  a  brother 
David  Dinwiddie,  8th,  1816 ;  Oscar  Dinwiddie,  1845. 
This  family  name  is  known  in  United  States  history,  one 
member  of  the  family,  in  the  time  of  Washington,  having 
been  Governor  of  Virginia. 

III. THE    BALL    FAMILY. 

Francis  Ball  came  from  England  in  1640;  Jonathan 
Ball,  born  1645  ;  Benjamin  Ball,  born  1689;  Charles  Ball, 
ist,  born  1725  ;  Charles  Ball,  2d,  born  1760  ;  Hervey  Ball, 
born  1794  ;  T.  H.  Ball,  born  1826  ;  Herbert  S.  Ball,  born 
1856.  Thus  six  generations  in  this  line  come  between 
the  English  ancestor  of  1640  and  a  Lake  County  youth 
born  at  Cedar  Lake. 

Another  family  in  this  county  possess  heirlooms  which 
have  been  handed  down  from  father  to  son,  which  are 
said  to  have  been  brought  over  in  the  May  Flower.  The 
records  however  are  not  in  this  county.  This  is  the  fam- 
ily of  Ebenezer  Saxton. 

Still  another  resident  of  the  county,  Augustine  Hum- 


THE    PRESENT 187O-1872.  365 

phrey,  settling  here  in  1840.  whose  family  have  nearly  all 
passed  away,  has  records  in  the  possession  of  his  brother 
which  are  said  to  give  a  connected  line  back  to  the  Nor- 
man Conquest  or  the  Battle  of  Hastings,  1066. 

The  value  of  such  records  as  the  above  may  seem 
slight  to  some,  —  and  they  are  placed  here  simply  as  sam- 
ples of  what  family  records  mean  —  yet  families  possess- 
ing such  would  not  willingly  part  with  them,  and  where 
slight  records  are  handed  down  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration, and  especially  where  diaries  are  kept  of  import- 
ant or  interesting  events,  it  is  easy  for  an  annalist  to  find 
material  for  his  work.  Of  such  choice  material,  carefully 
collected,  the  foundation  for  standard  histories  is  made. 

For  want  of  well-kept  records  there  are  disagreeing 
dates  even  in  United  States  history.  Much  more  is  this 
the  case  as  we  go  back  toward  the  dark  shadows  of  a  re- 
mote antiquity. 


Thirty-eight  years  have  now  passed  away  since  the 
first  settlement  in  this  region.  Only  twelve  more  years, 
or  eight  years  after  the  centennial  celebration  of  our  na- 
tional existence,  will  bring  us  to  the  serni-ccntciiiiial  cele- 
bration of  the  settlement  of  our  county.  If  good  records 
are  kept  by  those  now  acting,  a  fair  fifty  years'  view  may 
then  be  taken  of  the  growth  of  Lake :  and  then  I  am 
sure  there  will  be  some  appreciation  of  the  work  accom- 
plished by  this  unpretending  volume,  in  treasuring  up 
many  facts  that  would  otherwise  have  been  buried  in  ob- 
livion. While  not  done  as  it  would  have  been  done  liad 
more  time  and  more  means  been  at  my  disposal,  I  cheer- 
fully and  hopefully  commend   it   to  the  consideration  of 


364  LAKE    COUNTY. 

my  fellow  citizens.  And  if  in  the  land  of  the  living 
when  the  rich  autumn  comes  of  the  year  1884,  although 
perchance  a  distant  wanderer,  I  shall  hope  to  find  a  place 
then  in  the  great  gathering  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
Lake.  And  with  the  loved  ones  among  them  I  shall  hope 
at  last  to  dwells  in  the  great,  the  fadeless,  the  beautiful 

HOME. 


MONROE'S 
SERIES  OF  SCHOOL  READERS. 


The  Publishers  have  the  pleasure  of  announcing  that  they  have  recently  com- 
pleted a  Series  of  School  Readers,  by  Prof.  Lewis  U.  .Moxroe,  Professor  of  Vocal 
Culture  and  Elocution  in  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology. 

The  thorough  and  enthusiastic  study  which  the  author  has  given  to  this  sub- 
ject, and  his  long  and  successful  experience  as  Practical  Instructor  of  Schools, 
Teachers,  Clergymen,  Public  Speakers  and  Readers,  have  eminently  qualified  him 
for  the  task  he  has  undertaken.  These  Books  are  proftselv  ilhstrateu  p,v 
THE  nEST  ARTrsTS,  and  in  mechanical  execution  are  superior  to  any  school  books 
now  published. 

The  Series  is  so  arranged  that  the  First,  Second,  Third  and  Fifth  Readers 
FORM  .\N  af;ridc;ei)  course,  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  wants  of  ungraded  schools 
in  the  smaller  towns. 

'■  The  lower  books  contain  tlie  '  Word  Method^  '  I'/iouic  A  nalysis.''  the  old 
''  A.  B.  C  Method,  und^  Object  Teaching^  thus  enabling  the  teacher  to  choose 
the  course  with  which  he  is  the  most  familiar,  or  the  one  he  can  teach  most  success- 
fully. 

In  the  Fourth  Reader  is  a  feature  never  before  presented  in  any  school  book — 
that  of  representing  by  illustrations  and  diagrams,  the  manner  of  forming  every 
sound  in  the  language. 

By  this  means  the  pupil  can  see  at  a  glance  the  position  of  the  tongue,  lips  and 
jaws,  necessary  to  produce  the  correct  English  sound. 

In  the  introduction  to  the  Fifth  Reader  are  the  most  essential  portions  of  the 
system  of  physical  and  vocal  training,  taught  with  success  b}'  Prof.  L.  1!.  Monroe, 
in  the  public  schools  of  Boston." 

PRICES  OF  MONROE'S   READERS. 


First   Reader- _ $0.30 

Second   Reader .50 

Third  Reader .'  .75 

Fourth   Reader 1.00 

Fifth  Rk.=,dkr _ 1.25 

Sixth  Reader 1.50 


Intro- 

Ex- 

duction. 

change 

$0.20 

$0.15 

.34 

.25 

.50 

.38 

.67 

.50 

.84 

.63 

1.00 

.75 

F.  S.  BELDEN, 

COWPERTHWAIT  &  CO.,  -A.-cnt  for  Introduction. 

ruBLisHERs.  335  Wabash  Avenus,  Chicago. 

MONROE'S  VOCAL   GYMNASTICS. 


A  new  work  f)n  Physical  and  \'.ical  Trainin;  cr  tlie  use  nf  Schfir.l-,  and  fur 
Private  Instruction.  No  teacher,  pupil,  or  pu:  lie  ^lHa';^■r,  can  alTurd  to  be  without 
this  little  manual.      Retail  price,  .^i.oi. 


EstaMisked  i?i$6.  Incorporated  1878. 


F.  T.  June,  Pres.     H.  E.  Hokton,  Secy. 
J.  G.  CoLEMAX,  Treas. 

CAPITAL,   $100,000. 

SHERWOOD  SCHOOLFURNITURECO., 

(successors   to    H.    M.    SHERWOOD,) 

Manufacturers  of  the  most  approved  styles  of 

SCHOOL  AND   CHURCH   FURNITURE, 

Hall  Seats  and  Railroad  Settees. 
Also,  Dealers  in  SCHOOL  APPARATUS  OF  ALL  KINDS. 

Office  &  Warerooms,  Nos.  103-109  South  Canal  Street,  Chicago. 

JOB    BARNARD.  M.    C.    BARNARD. 

BARNARD    &    BARNARD, 

Attorieis  and  Coisellors  at  Law  aifl  Notaries  PiWic 

OFFICE  OVER  BAKERY,  CROWN  POINT,  Ind. 

KLIHU    GRIFFIN.  J.  W.  VOUCHE. 

GRIFFIN  &  YOUCHE, 

Attorneys  at  Lavv. 

Will  practice  in  all  the  courts,  and  attend  to  any  kind  of  legal  business.  Counsel 
and  correspondence  in  English  or  German.  Office  in  brick  block,  under  the  Reg- 
ister printing  office,  CROWN  POINT,  Ind. 

THE  CROWN  POINT  REaiSTEE. 

PUBLISHED  EVERY  THURSDAY  BY  F.  S.  BEDELL, 

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THOMAS    J.  WOOD. 


WOOD  &  WOOD, 

Attorneys  and  Counssllors  at  Law^ 

Crown  Point,  Ind. 

OFFICE  TWO  DOORS  NORTH  OF  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

Will  attend  to  business  in  all  the  Courts  of  the  State  and  United  States,  Dis- 
trict and  Circuit  Courts,  and  all  business  relating  to  Real  Estate. 

ATTORNEY  AT    LAW, 

OFFICE  IN  HERALD  BUILDING,  E.\st  Side  Plblic  Square, 

CROWN   POINT,   Ind. 


CKOWN    POINT,   Ind., 


DttALER   IN 


?tire   f)rtig^,   ]\iedicir|e^,    dl|eir|ical^, 

DYE    STUFFS,    PERFUMERY  AND   TOILET  SOAPS,    COMBS, 

BRUSHES  AND  FANCY  GOODS,  TRUSSES,  SHOULDER 

BRACES  AND  SUPPORTERS, 

SCHOOL  BOOKS,  PAPER,  PEA'S,  PENCLLS,  &^c., 

POCKET    KNIVES    AND    CUTLERY. 

TUFT'S  CELEBRATED  ARCTIC  SODA  WATER  in  its  Season. 

Geo.  W.  Waters, 

LOWELL,    Indiana, 

DEALE[[IN  DRUGS  k  MEDICINES, 

Chcuiicah,  Paints,  Oils,   Varnislies,  Glass,  Putty,  Fi)ic  Soaps, 

Sponges,  Brushes,  Perfumery,  Dye  Woods  and  Dye 

Sttiffs generally.  Pure  Wines  and  Liquors 

for  niedieinal  use, 

and  other  articles  kept  by  druggists  generally. 

PHYSICIANS'  PRESCRIPTIONS  CAREFULLY  COMPOUNDED. 


AMOS  ALLMAN, 

BealEstateApnt&Conyemcer 

CROWN  POINT.  LAKE  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


Having  an  abstract  of  Lake  County  from  the  Recorder's  Records, 
am  prepared  to  furnish  Abstracts  on  short  notice.  Also,  attend  to 
the  payment  of  Taxes,  etc. 

OFFICE  IN  THE   TREASURER'S  OFFICE. 


WILLIAM  WOODS, 

PRODUCE 

Commission   Merchant, 

No.   i6i    E.    KixziE  Street,  Chicago. 


Choice  Dairy  Butter  received  daily. 


GEO.    G.    ROBINSON.  GEO.    L,    VOICE. 


Geo.  G.  Robinson  &  Co., 

MANUFACTURERS    OF 

8^8H,  DOORS,  BUNDS,  &  MOULDINGS, 

DEALERS    IN 

LUMBER,  LATH,  &' SHINGLES. 

Office  and  Factory,  ;^6'j,  369  &  371   Sedgwick  Street, 
Near  Gas  Works  Yard,  Hawthorne  Ave. 

CHICAGO. 


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The  leading  republican  paper  in  the  Northwest. 


Thr  Inter-Ocean  will  continue  to  be  the  Organ  of  the  People  in  the  larges 
sense  of  the  word  ;  insisting  upon  the  preservation  of  the  rights  of  the  many  as 
against  the  few.  To  this  end  it  will  maintain  an  unceasing  warfare  against  the 
abtises  and  extortions  of  .\iA,  chartered  monopolies;  not  attempting  to  destroy 
the  just  rights  of  any,  but  determined  to  bring  every  special  privilege  granted  by 
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lic conscience  is  the  true  court  of  final  resort  in  all  questions  affecting  the  relations 
of  corporations  and  the  people. 

In  Literature,  General  News,  Foreign  and  Domestic  Correspondence,  Local 
Matters,  and  all  that  goes  to  make  a  FIRST-CLASS 

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It  does  not  intend  to  be  excelled  by  any  publication  in  the  country. 

THE  COMMERCIAL  DEPARTMENT 

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THE  MARKET  REPORTS 

such  as  the  Farmers  and  Businessmen  of  the  Northwest  can  Rely  Upon. 

THE  AGRICULTURAL  DEPARTMENT 

will  be  carefully  edited  by  a  gentleman  of  ability  and  experience. 

The  Religious  and  Moral  Character  will  be  guarded  with  especial  care,  and 
nothing  will  be  admitted  into  its  columns,  either  as  advertisement  or  reading  mat- 
ter, improper  for  the  family  circle. 

While  the  INTER-OCEAN  will  especially  represent  the  great  interests  of  the 
Northwest,  it  is  the  intention  to  make  it  a 

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or  registered  letter,  at  our  risk.     Address 

INTER-OCEAN, 

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Cabinet  Organs 


THE  ONLY  American  Musical  Instruments  of  such  extraordinary  and  recog- 
nized excellence  as  to  command  a  wide  sale  in  Europe,  notwithstanding  competi- 
tion there  with  products  of  cheap  labor. 

ALWAYS  awarded  highest  premiums,  including  the  Medal  at  the  Paris  Expo- 
sition. Of  hundreds  of  Industrial  Exhibitions,  there  have  not  been  six  in  all 
where  any  other  organs  have  been  preferred  to  these. 

UNIVERSALLY  recommended  by  eminent  musicians  as  possessing  excellen- 
cies not  attained  in  any  others.  See  opinions  of  One  Thousand,  in  Testimonial 
Circular. 

EXCLUSIVELY  employing  several  important  inventions  and  embracing  every 
real  improvement. 

THE  MOST  EXTENSIVE  and  complete  factories  in  the  world,  producing 
better  work  at  less  cost  than  otherwise  possible. 

PRICES  FIXED,  and  as  low  as  consistent  with  scrupulous  employment  of 
only  best  material  and  workmanship. 

NE^V  STYLES.  Five  Octave  Double  Reed  Organs  now  ready  at  very  low 
prices,  $ii  o  and  $125  each. 

ORGANS  FOR  RENT  with  privilege  of  purchase,  for  quarterly  or  monthly 
payments.     First  payment,  $12  and  upwards. 

Illustrated  Catalogue  and  Testimonial  Circular,  with  important  information 
abDut  Organs,  which  may  save  purchasers  from  dissapointment  In  purchase  of 
inferior  or  worthless  instruments,  or  payment  of  high  prices,  sent  free. 

Mason  &  Hamlin  Organ  Co., 

so  Ss  82  Adams  St..  Chicago,  111. 


€AEi©]f ,  PIEIl,  &  C0» 

RETAIL  DEPARTMENT, 

Madison    and     Peoria    Streets, 
CHICAGO, 

Make  Interesting  Prices  on  all  classes  of 


> 


And  have  as  fine  a?i  Assortrnent  as  aity 
House  in  the  West, 

JAMES    H.    BIGGS, 

(late  hart  &  biggs), 

No.  190  Dearborn-St.,  Honore  Block, 


Real  Estate  purchased,  managed  and  sold  ; 
Taxes  paid.     Special  attention  given  to  acre 
property  in  Cook  Co.,  III.,  and  Farms  a7id  un- 
improved lands  i}i  Lake  Co.,  Ind.     Corrcspo?i- 
dence  solicited. 


Jos.  E.  Young,  Pres't.  J.  S.  Holton,  Caihier. 

THE   SAVINGS   BANK 

—  OF   THK  — 

MARKET  SAVINGS  Alfl)  EXCHANGE  BANK, 
277  SOUTH  CANAL  ST.,  COR.  VAN  BUREN. 


t^"  On  money  deposited  after  the  first  and  before  the  te.nth  day  ot  any 
month,  interest  will  be  allowed  for  the  whole  month,  provided  the  money  so 
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For  the  Accommodation  of  Working  People,  the  Bank  will  be  kept  open 
Saturday  and  Monday  Evenings,  from  6  to  8  o'clock. 
Interest  at  the  rate  of  six  per  cent,  per  annum. 


OFFICERS     ATVB     DIRKCTORS. 

JOS.  E.  YOUNG,            -----  President. 

H.  S.  OSBORNE,                   -----  Counsel. 

J.  S.  HOLTON,               -----  Cashier. 


JOHN    LEH  MAN, 

Dealei!  in 


ic&St  ^H&  Pf  melt| 


STORE  ONE  DOOR  SODTH  OF  HACK'S  EXCHANGE, 

CROWN  POINT,  INDIANA. 


JAMES     H.     BALL, 

CROWN  POINT,  INDIANA. 
HACK'S  EXCHANGE,  CROWN  POINT,  IND. 

This  popular  Hotel  is  still  prepared  to  entertain  the  Travelling  Public  in  the 
best  manner.  Accommodations  First  Class.  A  good  Stable  is  attached.  Free 
'Bus  to  and  from  all  trains. 

MKS.  A.  HACK.  Proprietress. 


A.  D.  PALMER, 

CEDAR  LAKE,  LAKE  COUNTY,  INDIANA, 

DEALER   IN 

DRY  GOODS,  GROCERIES, 

Hardware,  Queensware,  Boots  and  Shoes,  Hats  and  Caps, 

JiEA D  Y-MADE  CL O  THING, 

DRUGS  AND   MEDICINES,   PAINTS   AND    OILS,    SCHOOL    BOOKS, 
STATIONERY,  &c. 

Country  Produce  taken  in  exchange  for  goods. 

H.  C.   BECKMANN, 


DEALER   IN 


®7"7/    Groods,    GrT'ocer^ies, 

CROCKERY,  PAINTS,  OILS,  ETC 

BRUNSWICK,   Lake  County,  Indiana. 

JOHN  M.  FOSTER, 

(Successor  to  SCOTT  &  FOSTER,) 

DEALER    IN 

AGRICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS, 

HEAVY  HARDWARE,  COAL  AND  LIME, 
CROWN"  POINT,  INDIANA. 

Physician  &  Surgeon, 

CROWN  POINT,  In  J. 


OflTice  on  the  West  side  of  tlie  public  square. 


A\TTORNEY  AT   LAW, 

CROWN  POINT,  Ind. 

OFFICE  OVER  SAUERMAN'S  HARNESS  SHOP. 

y.  A.   WOOD,  M.  D., 

Physician  &  Surgeon, 

OFFICE  AT  HIS  RESIDENCE,  ONE  MILE  EAST  OF  LOWELL, 
LAKE  COUNTY,  Ind. 

T.  S.  Fancher, 
Attorney   and   Counsellor  at   Law, 

Collections  a  specialty.  CROWN  POINT,  Ind. 

SUMMERS  &  FOSTER, 

DEALERS   LN    GRAIN, 

CROWN  POINT,  Ind. 

LAKE   COUNTY 

ISrOEM:^L      SCHOOL, 

AT 

CROWN  POINT,  IND. 

For  terms,  inquire  of  T.    H.   BAIjIj. 


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